Security services to clamp down on crime -
Minister
Accra, July 29, Ghanadot/GNA – Mr
Cletus Avoka, Minister of the Interior on Tuesday said
statistics for first five months of the year, indicated
marginal decrease in the crime rate.
Taking his turn at the Meet the Press series in Accra, the
minister said during the period under review murder cases;
dropped from 194 in 2008 to 183, robbery; from 677 in 2007,
to 591 in 2008 and 535 in 2009, while narcotic cases dropped
from 301 in 2008 to 275.
Rape cases dropped from 228 to 192, defilement 678 to 675,
heroine four to one, cocaine 24 to five and Indian hemp, 273
to 269.
The interior minister said the security services had come up
with innovative strategies to deal with the crime situation.
This include, joint police and military operations, with
senior personnel leading such operations to enhance focus.
There is also commitment and professionalism in the fight
against armed robbery.
Mr Avoka asked the public to contact the police service on
the following numbers to facilitate crime combat.
The hotlines are 021 773906 for the Co-ordinating centre,
021 773900/021 773695 - Police information room, 191 on
Kasapa, Tigo, MTN and Vodafone and 191 for Kumasi and the
Northern sector and 05122323 for the Kumasi Police
information rooms.
Mr Avoka said government was tackling the land guard menace
seriously and warned that the trend would not be tolerated.
He said land guards would be dismantled and all their
collaborators would be prosecuted.
The minister said road accidents had reduced following
government interventions, which re-enforced motorized
patrols to check speeding, drunk-driving and other road
abuses.
Government he noted is very much committed to finding
solutions to the many protracted conflicts by using
established institutions and mechanisms.
Mr Avoka said government would not interfere in chieftaincy
matters but would also not tolerate criminal activities
associated with such conflicts.
He said the conflicts in Dagbon and Bawku had so far
remained calm but government was still maintaining the
curfew in Gusheigu and its environs.
He expressed the hope that the Otumfuo- led committee of
eminent chiefs would resume their resolution process to make
the Dagbon conflict a thing of the past.
Mr Avoka spoke against the high-profile drug cases, which is
undermining the image of the country and overcrowding in the
prisons.
The ministry he said had advanced plans to expand the Access
to Justice Programme, to cover all the 10 regions.
He said for first time the Chief Justice had arranged 11
court sittings at the Nsawam Maximum Prison, which would be
replicated in other prisons to help reduce the number of
remand cases.
On fire related security concerns, Mr. Avoka said government
secured two loan facilities totalling 55 million dollars for
the procurement of fire equipment for Ghana National Fire
Service.
The service would take delivery of 77 fire tenders, ladders
and 10 foam tenders from India to argument its fleet.
GNA
