Lynching of suspects hamper police investigations

Winneba (C/R) Oct. 11 GNA - Mr Jordan Quaye, Winneba District Police Commander, on Wednesday added his voice to calls on the public not to lynch suspected criminals because it hampered police investigations. He said it is not "easy to favour an armed robber who has come to steal from you but if you arrest and kill him all his accomplices would not be known for prosecution".

The police commander was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Winneba on recent lynching of suspects by the public. He said apart from this it was an offence to mete out instant justice to suspects.

According to him the police by law could use reasonable force to arrest a suspect if he resisted arrest.

Mr Quaye, therefore, urged the public to hand over suspected criminals to the police for proper investigation and prosecution. He called on Ghanaians to give information about the activities of suspected criminals to the police to hasten their efforts at reducing crime.

The police as one of the law enforcement agencies are not enemies to the people but were there to protect them, the police commander said.