The police administration has introduced its operational strategy for the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, said the administration would intensify security at densely population areas such as shopping malls, recreational and entertainment centres, beaches, churches and marketplaces through the deployment of and increase deployment of personnel to such places during the Yuletide. This way, he said, criminals cannot take advantage of the period to perpetrate crimes.
“We will also deploy uniform and plain-cloth officers on mobile and foot patrols within the communities to prevent residential crimes and to conduct intelligence – led operation S, step up snap checks, day and night patrols, deploy motorbike patrols and increase highway patrols to tackle robberies,” he said when he launched this year’s “Operation Father Christmas” at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
Operation Father Christmas has become an annual operational strategy of the Ghana Police Service to ensure that the citizenry are safe before, during and after the Christmas and New Year festivities.
This year’s edition started with a route march by police personnel through some principal streets of Accra, ending at the Police Headquarters where the IGP delivered his address.
He said the Ghana police service was resolved to deal ruthlessly with all criminal elements.
On how they would ensure safety on roads, he said, “We will strictly enforce the traffic regulations and deal severely with recalcitrant drivers who flout the regulations with impunity”.
He said there would also be an enhanced deployment of officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department with the necessary logistics to enforce the laws on the roads.
“We will also increase the deployment of traffic officers to ensure free flow of traffic before during and after the season,” he added.
He urged businessmen and people transacting business or transporting large sums of money to seek the assistance of the police or use the banks to prevent attacks.
“Endeavour to inform the police on any criminal activity or suspicious characters within your vicinity for timely intervention through our toll free numbers 191 and 18555,” he said.
He reminded the public about a dedicated complaints desk at the National Police Headquarters to handle all forms of unprofessional conduct of police personnel for appropriate redress. Members of the public can also call 0550323323 and 0275000156 on voice calls and SMS, and 0206639121 for WhatsApp to report such cases.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey