Police appeals for assistance during PANAFEST

The Central Regional Police Command on Thursday appealed to residents of Cape Coast and Elmina as well as visitors to the fifth Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST 2001), which takes off next Saturday to assist in ensuring effective security during the period.

The Regional Commander, Mr George Obeng, who made the appeal in a statement issued at Cape Coast, gave the assurance that his outfit has put in place adequate security measures to make the festival incident-free.

He, however, pointed out that "absolute security cannot be taken for granted" and that there was the need for the general public to assist by being security conscious.

"This appeal has become imperative in view of the fact that the festival, which is expected to attract numerous visitors worldwide, s also bound to attract a lot of social misfits, who will use the congestion to rob and engage in other vices to discredit the region and the nation as a whole."

The statement, therefore, among other things, advised residents as well as vehicles owners to secure their property when leaving for any of the festival's activities and charged hoteliers to be on the look out and promptly report anyone, who trails lodgers to their premises.

It stressed the need for the public to co-operate fully with the security agencies in ensuring the success of the festival and to contact the Police on telephone numbers 32465, 32411 and 32464 if they have anything to report.

The statement also reminded the public that it was an offence punishable by law to beg for alms and that an operation would soon be mounted to rid the streets of beggars.

The statement warned against the use of beaches as places of convenience and said offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.