One of the deteriorated Effiakuma police barracks
Most of the buildings at the Effiakuma Police Barracks near Takoradi need urgent renovations as they have become death traps, posing danger to police personnel and their respective families living in them.
Some of the buildings, believed to have been constructed many years ago, are on the verge of collapse unless steps are taken to fix them.
The foundation of most of the structures had been affected by erosion and are hanging and occupants have to climb some makeshift staircases before entering their rooms.
Most of the building had developed terrible cracks posing a serious threat to the lives of the occupants.
It was gathered that some of the buildings were constructed with mud or laterite on a concrete foundation which had, unfortunately, been damaged by the vagaries of the weather.
Some of the occupants, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE on condition of anonymity, lamented about the sorry state of the buildings which, according to them, needed urgent renovation.
They pointed out that though most police personnel had not made any formal complaint about the situation, the truth is that they are not happy living in such dilapidated structures.
They disclosed that although the authorities were aware of their plight, nothing has been done to fix the situation.
“Lack of decent accommodation for the police in some parts of the Western Region is greatly affecting officers and their families who have no peace of mind to focus on their core duties”, they asserted.
They continued “the current situation is so demoralising and sometimes makes most of the personnel even regret ever entering into the service”.
They noted that the Ghana Police Service could not shoulder the responsibility of renovating the houses alone and therefore called on government and other philanthropists to come to their aid to enable the police have their peace of mind to ensure the safety of lives and property in the area.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in separate interviews, some of the residents in the area also added their voice to the plight of the police officers, which they indicated normally reflects in the poor levels of commitment and the lack of professionalism the officers allegedly do exhibit.
“The project is obviously crucial if we want our police officers to perform to our expectations, as well as build a positive image for the service”, they indicated.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi