Police/military swoop missed gangs - Residents

Accra (The Ghanaian Times) - Some residents in areas of the recent military and police operations to arrest armed robbers have described the exercise as unsatisfactory. "We still have the known hardened criminals among us," a resident of one of the areas told the Times'.

The 'Times' was retracing the routs of some of the recent operations to find out the impact of the exercise, and to ascertain whether it was yielding the desired results. The areas visited included Sabon Zongo, Mataheko, Laterbiokorshie, Sukura, Korle-Bu, Mamprobi, Chorkor, James Town, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Accra New Town, all in Accra.

While some outrightly condemned the team for excluding community leaders from participating in the exercise, others expressed lack of confidence in the team to carry out the tasks successfully. Some of the residents interviewed were emphatic that the operations had not been successful because the known criminals were still walking free.

"Just after the team withdrew, they all (criminals) came back," a resident of Russia said. Some of the residents even said that the behaviour of criminals suggested that they had foreknowledge of the operations. "Most of the hardened criminals escaped the cordon and have returned to the area after the team left," said a resident of Mataheko.

Most people in the area were of the view that, the majority of those arrested were homeless people, drivers' mates who spent the night in vehicles and on the streets, and innocent people. Another resident said that the criminals were still walking free in the area.

He said the team did not know the area well and also failed to seek information on criminals in the area from community leaders before embarking on the operation. "I am one of the opinion leaders. I was ready to point out the criminals if I had been contacted, but, I did not trust that the police could protect me from the criminals."

At Russia, a driver (name withheld) told me that his mate who was coming to join him for the day's work was arrested. He confirmed that the real criminals escaped long before the operation started. We are ready to assist in arresting them if only the police can assure us of protection from the criminals. "While they were making the arrests, I saw one of the criminals pretend to be washing. The team just by-passed him without any question."

At Chorkor, a resident told the 'Times' that had the team carried out the operation between 2.30 a.m. and 4.30 am, it would have been more successful. "It is that time that they (criminals) undertake their 'operations." He suggested that the team should devise means of seeking information from residents on the exact abodes of the criminals before embarking on the operation.

"Not everybody in the community is a criminal and the way you cooperate with residents and get them to have confidence in you will drive them to give you information on the hide-outs of the criminals. "The overbearing and intimidating presence of the team, only succeeded in driving the criminals underground and prevented willing residents from volunteering information on them," he explained.

At James Town, most residents interviewed said some of the criminals joined the large crowd of people who watched the operation, while others escaped the cordon. "We saw them immediately the team left and they are still around," they said. The resident commended the team for their initiative but noted that, "it is only residents that can pin-point the criminals out."

Residents interviewed at Sodom and Gomorrah said after the operation last week, the criminals who escaped came back to throw a party. "They threw a big party to celebrate their escape from the team," the residents told the Times. Others suggested that the only way criminals could be wiped out of the area "is by demolishing all the unauthorised structures at the place."

Residents in Sukura, Korle-Bu and Accra New Town expressed similar views and called on the joint team to involve the communities in their operation to ensure great success.