Election 2020: Police demand helicopter to distribute electoral materials

The Eastern Regional Police Command has tabled a proposal for the provision of a helicopter to airlift security personnel and electoral materials to Island Communities in the Kwahu Afram Plains area during the elections on December 7.

Kwahu Afram Plains North and South have about 87 polling stations on the Island. Security personnel and Electoral Commission officials are ferried for hours to the communities during elections.

The situation always delays the electoral processes in the Island Communities.

The Eastern Regional Police Commander DCOP Edward Johnson Oyirifi-Akrofi told Starr News in an interview in Koforidua that the Command has tabled a request for lifejackets and helicopter to facilitate its operations in Afram Plains Area and safeguard lives of its officers on the river during the election.

“The request that the region has made because it was observed that, at times there will be delays in the conveyance of election materials and transportation of security personnel who are supposed to police the various polling stations so because they are Islands as you rightly said, Personnel will have to be ferried so we have requested for lifejackets for their use and if possible for helicopter services to transport the materials. That is the request that we are hoping that such arrangements will be made for the smooth conduct of the election in those areas” DCOP Oyirifi- Akrofi said.

On general preparation towards the election, he stated that the Regional Police Command is prepared to provide adequate security to voters in 3,704 polling stations including 891 flashpoints identified.

According to him, numerous training and capacity building programs have been rolled out for the personnel in the region on election security management.

“The region has about 3,704 polling stations and 891 flashpoints which we have identified in close collaboration with Electoral Commission so we are going to give extra focus to this flashpoints so nothing untoward happens during the election day.”

He urged all stakeholders to collaborate with the election security taskforce to ensure smooth and peaceful elections.