Let us support security agencies to fight crime - COP Bonga

Timothy Yoosa Bonga, a Retired Commission of Police (COP) has appealed to Ghanaians to provide and share information with the Police and other security agencies to help fight crimes to make communities safe for habitation.

He said although their core mandate according to Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350) was to prevent and detect crimes, maintain public order and safety of persons, apprehend offenders, visibility, and patrols, they could only do that if and only they had sufficient information from the public.

The retired COP said, “fighting crime should be a collective responsibility, but not Police alone.”

Presenting a paper on, “Police Community Relations/Community Police Relations” at Training of Civic Educators on Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) Issues in Tamale in the Northern Region, COP Bonga said, Police-Citizen's relation at the Police Stations should be more professional and mutual.

He said there was the need to allow the Police to work according to the law without interference from Chiefs, Assembly members, opinion leaders, among others.

“Don’t see the Police as enemies if they don’t heal to your interest,” he said.

COP Bonga, who was also a former Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, advised the Police personnel to strictly observe customs and traditions to foster good working relationship with the people as they needed total support from the people in carrying out their mandate.

The retired COP asked security officers not to look down on people and underrate information given them as inimical to intelligence gathering.

COP Bonga, who was also once the Northern Regional Police Commander urged the public to engage Policemen in programmes for them to explain their mandates since Police Officer is a servant, but not a master.

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), with support from European Union (EU) is currently undertaking civic/public education on Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) through promotion of social cohesion, peace, and tolerance in 75 selected Districts from Northern, North East, Savanna, Upper West, Upper East, Bono, Bono East, and Oti Regions of Ghana.

The mission is a rapid response to contain the likely spillover of Violent Extremism in Togo, Burkina Faso as Ghana shared a common boundary with those countries.