The Ghana Police Service is to introduce a new communication digital trunking system to link all Police stations to the Headquarters and Ghana Telecom.

The provision of the telephone facilities to all Police stations is to provide the Service with a means of rapid response in combating the crime wave in the country. Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Acting Minister of The Interior said this in response to a question asked by Samuel Johnfiah, NPP- Ahanta West, on behalf of Ransford Yaw Agyepong, NPP-Suhum, as to when the Suhum Police station would be provided with communication facilities.

He said most of the Police stations had over the years not been provided with basic telephone facilities and modern day communication equipment and as such it was now high on the agenda of the Service.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said the Suhum Police station would benefit from the new system, however, some stations had been provided with two-way radios to make it possible for Police personnel to communicate with each other.

Kwakye Addo, NDC-Afram Plains South, asked when the project would take off and the Minister said it would take off as soon as resources became available, as it was a top priority of the Service.

Dr Mustapha Ahmed, NDC- Ayawaso East, asked whether the Minister would consider buying the surplus reliable communication gadgets of the Volta River Authority to equip the Police Service and the Minister said as soon as budgetary allocation was made the idea would be pursued.

In another development, Alhaji Issah Abah, NDC-Chereponi on behalf of Felix Twumasi-Appiah, NDC - Sene, asked the Minister of The Interior what immediate plans the ministry had to provide Police patrol vehicles for the Sene District Police.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said the allocation of vehicles to certain Police stations was initially to address the problem of armed robbery and other criminal activities in the country. He said the situation was currently stabilising and the Police administration would be taking a second look at the allocation of vehicles so that deprived areas would be considered. Dr Addo-Kufuor said in the meantime, the Atebubu Police station had been allocated a new vehicle to cater for the Sene District as well.