Gomoa Okyereko gets new police station

A new police station was inaugurated last Tuesday at Gomoa Okyereko in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region.

The station was fully funded by the chiefs and people of the town with the aim of helping to fight criminal activities, particularly robberies in the area, as well as check widespread road accidents on the Accra-Cape Coast highway.

The community also presented a new pick-up vehicle for use by the police in the town.

In addition, the people have alloted a 10-acre land to the police for future expansion of the police station as well as a 10-room residential accommodation for the officers.

Support

The acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, who inaugurated the project, called on communities and public- spirited individuals to provide the police with logistical support to enable them to work effectively.

He said the fight against crime was a shared responsibility and so it was critical that the public augmented government’s efforts by resourcing the police service to make it more efficient and responsive, especially in combatting crime.

He said this year, the Police Administration had inaugurated two police stations at Community 25 in Tema and Agogo in the Ashanti Region which were all constructed by the communities for the police.

“It is pleasing to witness that through community partnership, police stations are being constructed by communities as their contribution to the fight against crime,” he said.

Disturbing phenomenon

The acting IGP bemoaned the increasing public concern about indiscipline among the youth, who sometimes in their quest to register their displeasure with chiefs, political actors and lack of development initiatives, took the law into their hands.

He said the aggrieved youth sometimes went to the extent of even attacking police stations which, in the first place, were established to protect them.

“There are laid down procedures to follow in seeking solutions to grievances, if we are not happy about anything,” he said.

Mr Oppong-Boanuh warned that the police administration would deal firmly with individuals who took the law into their hands, adding that “if you attack a police station, the police will deal severely with you this time.”

He commended the Okyereko community for the police station and urged the police officers to take good care of the facility.

Surrender small arms

The Central Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Paul Manly Awini, said there were people in the area who illegally possessed small arms and advised those who had them to surrender the weapons since they would not be spared when caught.

He further urged Ghanaians to pay particular attention to personal safety at all times in order not to expose themselves to criminals.

The District Chief Executive for Gomoa East, Mr Solomon Darko Quarm, called for a divisional police command to be established in the district.