COP Oduro Rtd alarmed by increasing violent crimes in Ghana

• COP Bright Oduro Rtd has indicated the increase in the nation’s crime cases are alarming

• He has indicated that people are encouraged to commit crime because they are able to cover up

• According to the Interior Minister, Ghana recorded 144 murder cases in the first quarter of 2021

The former Director-General of the Police Criminal Investigations Department, COP Bright Oduro Rtd, in an interview on 3FM monitored by GhanaWeb has stated that the increase in crime cases is alarming.

He attributed the increase in murder cases to the belief that perpetrators of such crimes go unpunished.

He said: “People will be encouraged to commit crime because they are able to cover up. They are able to commit crime and then escape and then it will be difficult for the security especially the Police to find them and so people are being emboldened.”

“So people plan to commit crime and once they know in the past somebody did it and was not arrested I can also go in and commit so people are being embolden.”

He added: “I will not be alarmed like any other civilian. I was in this kind of job for some time and we met some of these challenges during my time as well. But it looks like these violent crimes are becoming too much. I was listening to the Interior Minister’s statistics, the crimes that have happened in the past few months or so. It looks quite alarming but as I said I will not be alarmed.”

His comments follows a revelation by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, at the National Police Command Conference on Thursday, May 20, that the nation’s crime statistics have increased in the first quarter of the year.

Mr Dery revealed that Ghana recorded 144 murder cases in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 123 in the first quarter of 2020.

He however assured the public that investigations into all murder cases including that of Investigative journalist Ahmed Suale and MP for Abuakwa North Joseph Boakye Danquah are still ongoing.

“The position of the government has been and remains as I talk to you today that all outstanding murder cases be investigated, completed and Prosecution undertaken, and I tell you with all seriousness. I do ask the Director-General of CID to give me a report every week and he does. Yes, all cases are going to be completed within a short period of time that we expect,” the Minister assured.