Senior Officers of the Upper West Regional Police Command have engaged congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Wa on security issues and the need for them to be security conscious to safeguard their lives and properties.
The event is one in a series of sensitisation programmes by the police to engage members of the public at catchment areas like the mosques and churches to sensitise them to partner with the police and help reduce crime in the region.
Speaking at the second engagement meeting on Sunday, the Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Francis Aboagye Nyarko, encouraged the congregation to be weary of suspicious people when they gathered to have church services.
“We have to train ourselves to be suspicious of people we come across irrespective of their presence in church so that we are watchful during services to prevent misdeeds from very unscrupulous persons,” he stated.
The Regional Commander stressed on the need for parents and Sunday school teachers to take good care of the children when they came to church in order not to fall victim to potential kidnappers whose activities had become rampant in recent times.
Touching on whistle blowing, the Regional Commander charged the congregation to report suspicious people in their environment to the police for action, saying “you know some of the thieves, even some of our bad personnel, they live among us, so report them. And this is how to go about it, identify only one Senior Officer and keep working together with him on an issue, do not tell other people so that when the issue is made public, you will know that the particular officer is not supposed to be trusted.”
The Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent, Reynolds Manteaw, outlined some security tips expected to be observed by the public to help reduce crime.
He indicated that it was necessary to keep their lighting system active and prevent the growth of bushes around settlements, so that criminals would be warded off as most of them took advantage of dark and bushy areas to perpetuate all sort of ills.
“Avoid walking alone at night and avoid closing from work and other functions very late. You must also avoid using the same route always because people study your route and attack you from there if they want to,” he cautioned.
The Crime Officer also encouraged the congregation to inform people when they were leaving the house or when they were travelling by public vehicles or tricycles, adding that “you have to call someone and tell them you are in such and such a car with the registration number and the colour of the vehicle so that if something happens, they can trace you to the location and assist.”
For his part, the Deputy Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Peter Ndekugri, touched on moral values and attitude and encouraged the congregation to be guided by those two principles as they advanced their course in life to prevent them from getting into contention with the law.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
