14,200 Police deployed for Xmas
Fourteen thousand two hundred police personnel have been deployed
nationwide to perform operational duties and beef up security towards
the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Additionally, 18,000 personnel have been assigned to perform
traditional police duties to enhance security during the festive period
and beyond.
At the launch of this year's national policing strategies for
Christmas and the New Year, popularly known as Police Father Christmas
Operations, in Accra on Wednesday, the Director-General of Police
Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George A. Dampare, said the
measures had been taken because there were usually security concerns
during such period.
“The increased activities during this period present several security
concerns, including robberies on our highways, theft, fraud,
burglaries, traffic congestion, increased drink driving and other road
traffic infractions leading to accidents and public disturbances,” he
said.
Strategies
To maintain law and order, he said, the Police Administration had
taken steps to deepen policing services in 10 focal areas, including
traffic management, highway patrol and crime fighting; commercial,
street and entertainment policing.
Other areas were criminal dens, residential areas, policing of vital
installations, anti-land guarding and related activities and community
and media engagements, he said.
The Director-General of Operations said in the area of traffic
management, personnel from the Police Operation Unit would be deployed
to support personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department
(MTTD) in the major cities to manage traffic.
The MTTD personnel, he said, had been urged to go the extra mile to
manage the traffic situation to ensure the free movement of people.
Highway patrol and crime fighting, he added, would also be
intensified, while commercial centres, such as shopping malls, lorry
stations and entertainment venues would also have increased police
presence to deter and arrest suspicious characters.
Dr Dampare sent a signal to criminals to stay away from special
events and religious programmes which would be organised during the
festive occasion, as the police would be present in both uniform and
plain clothes to protect those who would attend such events.
Additionally, he said, residential areas and vital installations
would be patrolled, while the police would engage residents of
communities through the use of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) and on social media platforms to give security tips.
To combat and uproot land guard activities, he stated that the police
would go all out to deal with criminals harassing landowners and
potential landowners.
“We are coming for you criminals and your cohorts, land guards and
your financiers. There will be no hiding place for you and so the
earlier you repent, the better,” he said.
Cooperation
Dr Dampare also called on individuals to cooperate with the police by
providing them with relevant information to facilitate the arrest and
prosecution of criminals.
He urged all police personnel to be disciplined, committed and professional in executing their duties.
“Assessing performance will be based on how well citizens are kept
safe from criminal activities, professionalism in our dealings, making
progress in the fight against land-guard activities, as well as
deepening our relationship with all stakeholders,” he said.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
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