The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has recognized the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs), for her significant contributions to strengthening the relationship between the university and the Ghana Police Service.
In 2018, the Department of Forensic Sciences at UCC and the Ghana Police Service entered into an agreement to train police personnel in various fields, including Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Investigation, Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, Document Examination, and Financial Fraud Investigation.
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) solidified the cooperation between the two institutions, aiming to enhance crime prevention and detection and to support the then Inspector-General of Police’s vision to revamp the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
During her tenure as Director General of the CID, COP Addo-Danquah championed the establishment of a Digital Forensic Laboratory, which was expected to be operational by the end of 2019.
She emphasized that, although the department already had a crime laboratory for DNA, ballistic, handwriting, and other tests, the new Digital Forensic Laboratory would enhance the level of evidence available for prosecuting suspected criminals, even in traditional crimes.
The establishment of this laboratory addressed a significant gap in the Ghana Police Service’s capabilities, as the absence of a digital forensic facility had previously hindered the proper preservation of volatile digital evidence. The Cybercrime Unit (CU) of the CID worked closely with UCC to realize this project.
In addition to her efforts in establishing the laboratory, COP Addo-Danquah also created and established two award schemes at the Department of Forensic Sciences to recognize and encourage outstanding students in these disciplines.
In recognition of her meritorious contributions, the Department of Forensic Sciences at UCC honored COP Addo-Danquah with a citation, acknowledging her exceptional leadership, commitment to promoting and developing education in forensic sciences, and her role in establishing a strong relationship between the Ghana Police Service and the department.
The citation praised her passion for academic excellence and professional development, which resulted in the creation of the award schemes for outstanding students and recognized her as a remarkable woman of greatness and valor.
