Let’s work to make Ghana safe, secure

Reports of stunning robberies in daylight in parts of the country, particularly in Accra and Tema in the Greater Accra Region, have got the nation sitting on tenterhooks.

In view of the rising incidents of armed robbery recorded lately, the Ghana Police Service has come under serious scrutiny once again.

Though the service keeps assuring the nation of its readiness and preparedness to protect lives and properties in the country, the rising spate of armed robberies and its resultant fatalities of innocent lives are causing many Ghanaians to question the ability of the service to protect lives and properties.

This year alone, the nation has recorded many cases of armed robbery which are not only alarming and worrying but very depressing.

Just last Wednesday, a cashier of the Delta Agro Company was gunned down in Tema, with the robbers escaping with GH¢200,000 booty and earlier on Tuesday, armed robbers stormed Royal Motors, an automobile company at the industrial area in Accra, and made away with the company's sales.

A man was also shot on the left shoulder during the act.

Over 20 forex bureaux have so far been attacked by armed robbers in Accra and Tema alone with the Ghana Association of Forex Bureaux saying its members are living in constant fear following incessant attacks on them by armed robbers.

Sixteen robberies have so far been recorded at Oyibi, with two people shot.

These, no doubt, are not good times for safety and security in the country and the trend must be a source of deep concern for all.

What are the real causes of these hair-raising crimes and robberies? Are our law enforcement agencies losing the fight against crime because of budgetary allocation and inadequate personnel?

Are we, collectively, also failing to help protect ourselves in view of the unplanned urban expansions and the availability of small arms in the hands of many criminals?

Already, some security experts have warned of more dangerous robberies in the coming weeks.

This calls for a quick rethink and the early implementation of new strategies to arrest the rising trend.

As a matter of urgency, the Daily Graphic calls for a constant and intrusive police presence.

We will also like to add our voice to calls on the security set-up to intensify intelligence policing to win this fight.

To do this effectively, there is the need for the Police Service to invest heavily in crime audits.

This will make available to the police the pattern of crime which will greatly assist them in their fight.

The government must also resource and retool the service to enable it to overcome the current sophisticated trends in crime.

Imprisonment terms for convicted armed robbers must really be punitive to serve as a deterrent to others who harbour such intentions.

The Daily Graphic is aware that to have a society with zero armed robberies might be impossible but as a nation we can collectively work to reduce the incidence of armed robbery with the right proactive policies in place.

Let us all work to make Ghana safe and secure.