Let’s deal with the growing insecurity

In the last couple of months, there have been reports of armed attacks which have resulted in deaths. The affected are both prominent personalities in society and ordinary Ghanaians. 

In these attacks, the police who are mandated by law to provide internal security for the citizenry have also not been spared thus creating the impression of insecurity in the country. 

This phenomenon of killings is always on the ascendancy during the run-up to the general election. In the year 2000, there were rampant killings of women in different parts of the country. Much as the security agencies tried, they could not lay hands on any concrete evidence to identify the culprits until the situation died down after the elections.

In the year 2004, similar incidents happened - robbery was on the ascendency and although not many people were killed as it is presently the case, there were scores of people who were injured in robbery attacks.

It is barely six months to another major election and that unfortunate state of insecurity is rearing its ugly head again.

As stated earlier, what is worrying is the fact that the police are targets in this instance, creating an atmosphere of greater fear and panic because the people are beginning to wonder where to seek refuge if those to depend on for cover are themselves victims of such attacks.

We are presently faced with a situation where the lawlessness in society has assumed alarming proportions and it appears we as a people do not have a clue.

For instance, it is easy in recent times to commit crime and escape through traffic because instead of the police preventing drivers from doing so, they rather facilitate that move once the culprits drive with their hazard lights and fake alarm systems. At many police barriers for instance, such people are allowed to go through without any checks.

Is anybody above the law?

Again, the Daily Graphic has observed that the patrol teams stationed at vantage points in the city seldom move their vehicles during the day and at night when they are most needed, they are not visible. 

We believe that the modus operandi adopted by the police needs to change with immediate effect if the noble service is to remain relevant in the fight against the increasing spate of brutal crimes in our cities and elsewhere.

For instance, the police could adopt the strategy of stopping vehicles at random to conduct searches instead of stationing at one point. People on motorbikes could also be stopped at regular intervals to check what those sitting on it have in their possession. In many instances, the perpetrators of such crimes use motorbikes and hide their weapons in their dresses to avoid detection.

May we ask the police hierarchy whether it is not about time to arrest anybody riding unlicensed motorbike as a criminal.

The night patrols in residential areas must be stepped up with the assistance of the military as was once the case in the past to deter the criminals from operating at such odd hours. 

The police should also be taken through some refresher courses on how to protect themselves against such attacks. 

We need them alive to protect us and the onus falls on the Inspector General of Police to up the game of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) by being firm and proactive to stop these avoidable deaths and lawlessness in society.

By and large we ask the government as a matter of urgency to direct the Ghana Armed forces to join forces with the police to break the back of these hardened criminals who want to create fear and panic in society.

In addition, the Daily Graphic calls on members of the public to support the police to flush out the criminals in our midst, after all crime combat is a shared responsibility.