Nana Yaw Akwada, Executive Director, Bureau of Public Safety
There is a need for close collaboration between the police and the public for effective crime prevention.
This collaboration should be typified by early police response to distress calls by the citizenry, which is critical to crime prevention.
Mr. Nana Yaw Akwada, Executive Director, Bureau of Public Safety, told the Ghana News Agency that while crime threatened every society, its prevention and control was best achieved when in addition to other measures, the police worked closely with the citizenry.
Mr. Akwada who spoke on the recent killing of a policeman in Accra, as he escorted a bullion van, encouraged the police not to be disheartened by criticism from certain sectors of the public, even if they might sound harsh.
“All over the world, the police have achieved some of their greatest reforms after they have been heavily criticised following certain unfortunate incidents of crime,” he said.
Mr. Akwada observed that certain criminal acts evoked intense feelings of disdain in people, and often led to heavy criticism of the police by certain portions of the public.
He said those criticisms simply had to be looked at objectively and utilised towards improving the efficiency of the police.
Mr. Akwada also urged the public to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
He said it was important to call the police whenever criminal activity was suspected, because that could prevent serious crimes from taking place.
Mr. Akwada said it was very important to realise that effective police work could best be achieved when there was maximum cooperation between the police and the public.
He also urged the security agencies to make maximum use of security gadgets such as CCTV and body cameras,
Unidentified armed men attacked a bullion van at about 1130 hours on Monday, June 14 within James Town in Accra, leading to the death of a policeman who was on board and a lady.
The incident has sparked discussion from several sectors of the public as well as individuals on the incident. The Police administration has asked the public to provide it with information on the incident through the Accra Regional Police Command, any nearest Police Station or call Police Emergency numbers, 191 or 18555.
The Bureau of Public Safety is a registered entity under the laws of Ghana as a Non-profit Organization with an interest in matters of Public Safety and security, Health and Environment.