Accra, July 29, GNA - Mr Cletus Avoka, Minister of the Interior on Tuesday said statistics for first five months of the year, indicated marginal decrease in the crime rate.

Taking his turn at the Meet the Press series in Accra, the minister said during the period under review murder cases; dropped from 194 in 2008 to 183, robbery; from 677 in 2007, to 591 in 2008 and 535 in 2009, while narcotic cases dropped from 301 in 2008 to 275. Rape cases dropped from 228 to 192, defilement 678 to 675, heroine four to one, cocaine 24 to five and Indian hemp, 273 to 269. The interior minister said the security services had come up with innovative strategies to deal with the crime situation. This include, joint police and military operations, with senior personnel leading such operations to enhance focus. There is also commitment and professionalism in the fight against armed robbery.

Mr Avoka asked the public to contact the police service on the following numbers to facilitate crime combat.

The hotlines are 021 773906 for the Co-ordinating centre, 021 773900/021 773695 - Police information room, 191 on Kasapa, Tigo, MTN and Vodafone and 191 for Kumasi and the Northern sector and 05122323 for the Kumasi Police information rooms.

Mr Avoka said government was tackling the land guard menace seriously and warned that the trend would not be tolerated. He said land guards would be dismantled and all their collaborators would be prosecuted.

The minister said road accidents had reduced following government interventions, which re-enforced motorized patrols to check speeding, drunk-driving and other road abuses. Government he noted is very much committed to finding solutions to the many protracted conflicts by using established institutions and mechanisms.

Mr Avoka said government would not interfere in chieftaincy matters but would also not tolerate criminal activities associated with such conflicts.

He said the conflicts in Dagbon and Bawku had so far remained calm but government was still maintaining the curfew in Gusheigu and its environs. He expressed the hope that the Otumfuo- led committee of eminent chiefs would resume their resolution process to make the Dagbon conflict a thing of the past.

Mr Avoka spoke against the high-profile drug cases, which is undermining the image of the country and overcrowding in the prisons. The ministry he said had advanced plans to expand the Access to Justice Programme, to cover all the 10 regions.

He said for first time the Chief Justice had arranged 11 court sittings at the Nsawam Maximum Prison, which would be replicated in other prisons to help reduce the number of remand cases. On fire related security concerns, Mr. Avoka said government secured two loan facilities totalling 55 million dollars for the procurement of fire equipment for Ghana National Fire Service. The service would take delivery of 77 fire tenders, ladders and 10 foam tenders from India to argument its fleet.