Wa, April 2, GNA - The Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Danso Addei-Akyeampong has commended the police officers for working hard to maintain law and order in the region even though they were working under difficult conditions.

He said he was happy that the police were able to handle cases with professionalism which helped to maintain the peace in the region. He called on them to put in more efforts in the maintenance of peace, law and order to enhance development. ACP Akyeampong said this when addressing the officers at their 2010 West Africa Soldiers Social Activity (WASSA) get-together of the police in Wa over the weekend.

He said what the police needed most was for them to establish good relations with the public and help win their confidence. That way, he said, the public would volunteer information on criminals and help weed them out of our communities. The Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Issahaque Salia, who graced the occasion challenged the police to work harder than before to win the confidence of the people. He pointed out that it was only through such relations that the public would partner them to reduce crime. "The nation cherished your contributions. You ensure that we sleep during the night and wake up to carry out our work," he said. "The nation owes you tonnes of reward to encourage you to do more to secure the people from criminals and other saboteurs", Alhaji Salia continued.

Apostle George A. Apassera of the Christ Frontiers, who chaired the function, advised the national police command not to sit on the promotions of service personnel when promotions were due them. He appealed to them to find suitable ways of rewarding police officers whose diligence and sense of caution help prevent wrongdoing, malfeasants and saving of lives.

Apostle Apassera called on clergy and imams as well as traditional worshippers to partner the police by preaching good morals to their followers to prevent them from going into social vices. The Deputy Police Commander, ACP Osei Kwaku Ampofo-Duku in his remarks, likened the police to the air that people breathe. He said the absence of the air meant death and the absence of the police in society also meant chaos.

He advised the public to see the police officers as people who were working to protect them from criminals and to secure peace, law and order in the society.