Kumasi, Jan 17, GNA- Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Charles Oteng, Acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander, has revealed that no significant violent crimes were recorded by the Command during Christmas and the New Year festivities. This was as a result of maximum efforts put in by the police following the declaration that the Region was the most crime prone in the country in the early part of last year by the Police Administration. He said between January and June 2007 alone, 448 cases of robberies were recorded, stressing that measures were immediately put in place to arrest the situation by deploying more policemen and mounted police check points as well as foot and mobile patrols during the day and in the night.

ACP Oteng disclosed this at a press briefing by the police in Kumasi on Wednesday.

The acting Commander said as a result of the reinforcement, robberies reduced to 147 between July and December, most of which were mobile phone snatching representing 67.1 per cent. He added that in spite of that the police had not relented, especially its efforts since the country would be hosting the Ghana 2008 soccer tournament the holding of the general elections among others. ACP Oteng assured the public that the police would ensure that no criminal took undue advantage of both the citizenry and foreign nationals who would be witnessing the tournament. He promised that the police would bring the culprits of the burglary at the SG-SSB Bank to book, adding that, the incident was not a robbery but an in-house crime of which one suspect has been remanded to re-appear before a Kumasi High Court on January 23.