Member of Parliament for Kpandai, Mathew Nyindam, has fingered the “weak police Intelligence” of the Ghana Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for the rising spate of violent crime in the Ashanti region in particular and the nation in general.
Hon Nyindam contends that the continued penning up of police personnel in barracks instead of allowing them to live among the citizenry was a major flaw in policing in the country, and this has been compounded by the failure of the police to gather the necessary Intelligence information to forestall crime.
Three young men have been shot and killed in less than a week in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.
On Wednesday May 8, 2013, two men were gunned down and butchered in broad day light in Ashtown, Kumasi, in what police suspect was a retaliatory attack, with some political undertones.
Kwadwo Asamoah, popularly called Gauso who was one of the deceased persons allegedly subjected an NDC sympathizer, Maphus, to a similar attack in the heat of the 2012 December election. Maphus survived that attack, but Gausu was butchered and shot dead.
One other person was hit by a stray bullet.
On Sunday May 12, 2013 Prince Opoku Antoh, 30, nephew of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP F.F Antoh was shot in the head at point blank range at the Dark City Pub, a popular drinking spot in Dichemso by five men suspected to be armed robbers.
The men who were said to be on a robbery spree invaded the pub and demanded that all monies at the counter be handed over to them.
They also allegedly ordered that Antoh hand over his Iphone to them, an order he resisted.
In the scuffle, he was shot in the head at close range by one of the robbers after which they bolted.
The Ashanti region police has put up a reward of Ghs2,000 for information leading to the arrest of the 5 armed robbers.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show of May 13, 2013 Hon Nyindam expressed surprise that such crimes were taking place when major security assets such as the headquarters of the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, a police training school as well as well-resourced offices of the other security agencies were based in Kumasi.
He called on the leadership of the Ghana Police Service to change the policy of keeping all police men in barracks and order personnel of the CID to live in the community to allow easier collection of intelligence leading to the prevention of crime.
“I think it’s time we changed some things in this country so that instead of keeping the police at the barracks or depot, we should let the CID live among the population like ordinary citizens. The citizens know where these criminals are, but it is difficult (walking to the police station) to give them up. If the CID people are living among us, it will be easier to give them information.
“I think if we re-strategise these things can be brought under control.”
He contended that Ghanaians were bashing the Ashanti region police “because they are not performing.”
Alluding to events in the metropolis the Kpandai MP said unlike his constituency where there are just a handful of police officers with “no bicycles, motor or anything” to combat serious crime, “We have a police depot there, there are military camps, the whole police machinery is based in Kumasi, so how can these things be happening in Kumasi?
“Lives are not safe. I believe the Intelligence aspect of the police is not working properly. They should please hurry up and arrest the trouble makers for us to have peace.”
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