Kumasi, Dec15, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Police Command has asked the public to be on the lookout and report people suspected to be stockpiling weapons towards the 2012 general election.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbillah, tRegional Commander, said the police would do everything in their power to reduce the quantity of weapons in the possession of individuals ahead of the polls.

He was addressing senior police officers and a cross- section of the media at the regional police headquarters in Kumasi on Thursday.

DCOP Timbillah said the commitment of the Police Command to reduce the incidence of violent crimes, indiscipline and carnage on the roads, especially during the Christmas should not be taken lightly.

He said what the police needed was total support and cooperation from the public by way of useful leads for quick response and arrest of criminals.

“The police are there to serve the public and there is the need for the public to always assist us by providing information that will make us perform.”

DCOP Timbillah said policing was a shared responsibility and advised residents in the Region to take their personal security seriously to reduce their vulnerability.

As part of a comprehensive strategic security plan for the Christmas, more police personnel would be deployed and maintained in the central business district of Kumasi, with snap points mounted to check lawlessness among motorists and other road users to reduce accidents, he said.

The Regional Commander called on the public to have confidence in the police and to make sure that their criticism of the service was constructive.

He expressed appreciation to individuals and organizations that had assisted the service in the Region in areas of accommodation, transport, supply of furniture and other logistics to promote effective policing.

Mr Timbillah underscored the critical role of the media in crime prevention and asked for cooperation in crime control from media practitioners.

He also called on the transport unions, passengers and all stakeholders to play their expected roles to avoid car crashes during the yuletide.