THE police in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) have increased their day and night patrols to combat petty crimes and also be in readiness for the Christmas festivities next month and beyond.
At the moment, there is police presence in every part of the metropolis and also at various pedestrian crossings to ensure public safety.
Now night patrols are no longer limited to highways but extended to the communities and residential areas.
At various traffic intersections, the police are always at hand to control traffic when the lights go out.
Among the officers deployed is the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, who, from time to time, is seen at traffic intersections directing traffic.
The Western Region and its capital have attracted the attention of the corporate world, which has led to an increase in business, for which reason it became necessary for the police to change strategies to meet the changing trends.
DCOP Mahama said by way of equipping the police, the Police Administration had allocated three armoured 4X4 vehicles to the region, adding that two of the vehicles had been deployed to the difficult areas in the region and one stationed in the troubled spot at Anaji in the metropolis.
He said what the public should understand was that policing was no longer the sole responsibility of the Police Service but a shared one.
“Under the democratic policing agenda, there is the need for public participation in crime combat by volunteering information to the police for quick action,” he said.
He said criminals lived in the communities, adding, “We drink and chat with them but deep down some of us know what they do which causes great discomfort to other members of society.”
The regional commander appealed to the public to volunteer information on criminals to the police, noting, “I want to assure the public that the police are friendlier than before; they are your brothers and sisters and so approach them with open hearts.”
When the Daily Graphic visited the various police stations in the metropolis, information picked was that petty crime had gone down, as the police were all over the areas where, under normal circumstances, they would not be.
Some members of the public the Daily Graphic spoke to said they had gained some form of confidence in the police due to the fact that at any given time a policeman was around, a development which had helped avert crime.
“Their uniforms alone are a deterrent to people who wish to commit one crime or another,” they said.
They commended the regional police command for the insightful measures to prevent criminals from visiting pain on the public.
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