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.
