Police to Identify Houses of Armed Robbers

The spate of armed robbery, which visited this country at the inception of the current political administration, tasked the brains of security experts in no small measure when it lasted and defied various solutions proffered to stem it.

Today though the story is different, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Police and their military counterparts.

In recent times however one man whose ingenuity in resorting to the reliance on crime intelligence and which has paid big dividends is the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Mr. Kofi Boakye, ACP.

In an exclusive chat with the ADM in his office he disclosed just how the introduction of money is paying off in this war. His success at winning the confidence of members of the public has also contributed a great deal in this direction.

Informers he said give information for two main reasons, to wit for money and for the sake of ensuring a safer and crime-free society.

In some instances he added that robbers who fall out with their colleagues over the division of the spoils decide to inform the Police especially if they would be safe.

The highest amount of ten million cedis was paid for the information which led to the arrest of a hardened armed robber called Hope.

Mr. Boakye has also instituted the payment of two hundred thousand cedis for persons who provide pictures of armed robbers and this too he said has assisted in the war against armed robbery.

There were doubts at first as to whether the Police is actually paying people who give them vital information. To this he said because the contribution of informers is so confidential the Police must keep it as such so that the identities of these persons would be kept secret.

The Police would soon begin the identification of houses of armed robbers at the end of which it is hoped that a legislation would be effected to confiscate them as is done to drug pushers.

The war against armed robbery calls for the provision of funds, which the government alone cannot ensure. He therefore called for the involvement of civil society.

The Ghana Tennis Club of New York he noted provided forty million cedis as their contribution towards the anti-crime war in the country.

If we do not sustain the fight against armed robbery he warned there could be a resurgence of the canker in the country.

As we talked on the issue of armed robbery there was a call to the commander and he told me that it was a request for two hundred thousand cedis being the cost of providing a vital information pertaining to an armed robbery.

The Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Interior he observed have been very supportive in the provision of incentives in the crusade.

In an unrelated development the Police rounded up some black-market current dealers at Tudu. The commander said the suspects had earlier been warned to leave the place where they congregate to engage in the illegal dealings in foreign currency but they ignored the warning. They would be appearing before the courts on Monday he said.