Three youth groups in the Sunyani municipality of Bono Region, have expressed concern about insecurity in the area.
The groups are Sunyani Youth for Development Association (SYDA), Area Two Youth Association (ATYA) and Zongo Youth for Development (ZYD).
The groups in a joint statement signed by its spokesperson, Atta Akoto, copied to the Ghanaian Times, explained that the municipality has of late become a safe haven for criminals, which according to them require a swift response from the police to neutralise their operations.
The group noted that secret killings of innocent people and other criminal activities such as bag snatching, robbery and stabbing by some unscrupulous persons in the area, were affecting peace and stability in the Sunyani township.
The statement therefore, called on the police to redouble their efforts to deal with the issue by apprehending the culprits so as to protect lives and property of residents.
It said, “When it comes to murder and other violent crimes, this was rare in Sunyani. But for some time now, this is changing. The city in the last two years has recorded more than five murder cases, the recent one being the killing of an unidentified woman at the Nana Bosoma Market”.
The statement urged the Regional Police Command to intensify patrols and the police visibility programmes to ward off criminals, who are having a field day with their activities.
The Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Nana Kwaku Duah, in a response, said the police are on top of their mandate to deal with the situation, and assured residents of positive outcome.
He said security was a shared responsibility, and not only that of security agencies, and admonished residents to take their personal security seriously as well as volunteer information to the police to arrest perpetrators of crime.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
