Tamale, Oct. 29, GNA - The Minister of the Interior, Mr Martin Amidu, has said inadequate logistics facing the Ghana Police Service was a major set-back at efforts by the police in fighting crime. He said the Ghana Police Service personnel of 23,000 needed about 5,000 vehicles but has only about 950 vehicles. Mr Amidu was addressing the Northern Regional Police Command in Tamale on Thursday as part of his three-day visit to the region. The Minister said the police were also not having adequate bullet-proof jackets making most of the personnel to risk their lives during operations.

He said despite these challenges the police had been able to fight crime by reducing its rate in the country, adding that the provision of more logistics would enable the police improves upon their operations. Mr Amidu said the government would have been able to address some of the logistical challenges of the police and the other security agencies but for the financial constraints the government faced when it assumed office.

He apologized to the people of Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District who faced brutalities on Wednesday when the police conducted a search in the area in an attempt to capture Johnson Kombian, as fugitive.

He urged the police to be tactful in their operations in order not to hurt citizens saying that "We may set up a committee to investigate what actually went wrong". Mr Amidu said the police in the Northern Region were part of beneficiaries of the STX housing deal and urged them to be patient for the project to start to address their accommodation problems. Deputy Commissioner of Police Row Anyinibisa Amuni, the in-coming Northern Regional Police Commander, said the police in the region had done its best in fighting crime but was saddled with the killing of two of its pals by Kombian.

He said by dint of hard work and devotion of personnel, the numerous chieftaincy conflicts facing the region had been curtailed to a relatively appreciable level. Assistant Commissioner of Police Angwubutoge Awuni, the out-going Northern Regional Police Commander, appealed to the government to provide a helicopter to the police in the Northern Region due its bad roads.