Criminals are giving us tough time – Ashanti Police

The Ashanti Regional Police Command says criminals are giving them “a tough time” in their quest to tackle violent crime in the region. The police say they are frustrated because, despite effective patrols and their visibility on the ground, criminals are able to outwit them to rob and harass residents.

Recent violent crimes such as lynching, robberies and killings are making the region unsafe, compelling the regional command to set up an anti-robbery taskforce to tackle the menace.

The Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Ampofo Duku, expressed the frustrations at a news conference where 9 out of 11 suspected criminals who had been on police wanted list were paraded.

The suspects, whose ages range between 19 and 39, were arrested in police swoops in their hideouts in the Kumasi metropolis.

“Myself, I was on duty the whole of last night till about 2:00am. We are having tough times because we are almost everywhere both day and night, but crimes get committed. Before we get knowledge about it, they have finished their operations and left,” he lamented.

The Deputy Regional Commander said the growing phenomenon of people settling in remote places coupled with the lack of proper demarcations, street naming and home addresses is hampering its efforts to tackle crime despite effective patrols and vigilant security measures.

Recounting an incident that happened recently, he narrated, “three nights ago, there was information about a robbery at Fawode New site, and Police at Mamponten were very close, so they went to the scene but had difficulty locating the particular house. According to the victim of the robbery, he had noticed the presence of the police in his vicinity but how to contact the police was a problem until the robbers had finished and left before the police were led to the house.”

The latest suspected criminals who were paraded were Tofic Nuhu 19 years, Patrick Tetteh 33 years, Sadik Dramani 39 years, Mohammed Kwame Boagye 38 years, Kofi Yeboah 19 years, Mathias Akansi 25 years, Osei Kofi 35 years, Gyawu Ernest 27 years, Atubila Ayine 23 years.

According to the police, the suspects were linked to killings, highway robberies and armed attacks on shops and homes. Items retrieved from their hideouts included pump action guns, locally manufactured pistols, pinch bars, axes, pairs of scissors, knives, special operation apparel, hammer, pincers and talismans.

The regional police command which recently set up an anti-robbery taskforce also put forward a thousand cedi reward for any person who volunteers information about an AK47 rifle in the possession of any civilian.

ACP Ampofo Duku, however, assured that, notwithstanding the torrid times the criminals are giving them, the command will not renege on its promise to fight crime in the region.

He indicated that the police are now going to add motorbike patrols to compliment its vehicle patrols. It has thus called on spirit-hearted residents to help the police with intelligence information and some motorbikes to help it step up its activities in the region.