IGP James Oppong-Boanuh
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, has given an assurance that the public will be protected adequately during the Yuletide.
He said the Police Administration was deploying over 15,000 police personnel both in uniform and mufti to various vantage points, particularly crime-prone areas, to maintain law and order.
“A number of operational strategies have been put in place to increase police visibility, protect lives and property, effectively manage traffic, maintain law and order, and also guarantee the safety and security of police personnel before, during and after the Yuletide festivities,” he said in Accra yesterday.
“As the Inspector-General of Police, I wish to assure all Ghanaians and every foreign national that pragmatic and concrete measures have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of your premises, communities, market places, commercial centres, beaches, streets, churches, recreational centres, highways, hospitals, among others,” he added.
He said the police had intensified day and night patrols, increased community engagements and sensitization on security matters, deployed some technological devices to enhance information gathering, stepped-up traffic management, intelligence-led operations, snap checks and highway patrols.
The IGP said the laudable interventions would only be effective if the police were given the needed support from the public insisting that “effective crime prevention and detection is anchored on shared responsibility between the police and the public it serves.”
“The police can only be successful in this collective effort if it receives reliable information from the general public,” he stressed.
“It is worthy to mention that this period is also marked by heavy vehicular traffic, road crashes due to drunk-driving and other road violations, increased criminal activities such as robbery, narcotic drug trafficking, burglary, theft, pick-pocketing, assaults, public nuisance and other fraudulent activities. All these criminal activities tend to have a negative impact on the celebration of the Yuletide festivities which could have dire consequences on lives and property,” the IGP said.
He urged the public to continue to be mindful of their personal safety and also follow basic safety tips to prevent harm.
He asked the public to always volunteer information for the police to act appropriately and also report unprofessional conducts on the part of the police for appropriate action.