Police record fall in major crimes

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has recorded a decline of 107 in major crimes in 2014.

The police recorded 4,738 major offences as against 4,845 cases in 2013, representing a 2.2 per cent decline.

Speaking at the 2014 West African Security Service Association (WASSA) get-together for personnel of the CID Headquarters in Accra, the Chairman of the planning committee, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Patrick Akolgo, said “the major crime indicators showed a decrease except in rape and narcotic drug cases”.

Incidence of robbery, murder and defilement, he said, went down respectively by 9.6 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively, while rape and narcotic drug cases went up by 6.2 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.

Out of the recorded cases, Mr Akolgo said, the police in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Department convicted 565 people in connection with major offences such as robbery, defilement and narcotics.

Additionally, another 1,226 people were convicted of common frauds and cyber-related crimes.

Training 

He said with the advancement in technology leading to sophistication in crime, the CID had also embarked on intensive training of its detectives to keep them ahead of the criminals.

“Indeed, this step taken by the CID is yielding the required results. As a result of these measures put in place, the CID exceeded its revenue generation targets set for 2014 by 8.2 per cent.”

He, however, cautioned that the CID would not spare any detective who would dent the image of the Ghana Police Service.

“The Police Administration will not shield unscrupulous police officers who engage in negative practices to dent the otherwise good image of the Service,” he said

Mr Akolgo also urged detectives to remain vigilant and disciplined at all times. 

“Professionalism, tenacity of purpose and working within the confines of the law should be your guiding principles in the performance of your duties. Always have the vision of the police service in mind,”he said.

In addition to being served with food and drinks, the CID personnel danced to live band music from the police band, while some detectives who distinguished themselves in 2014 were presented with awards.