Regional News of Wednesday, 15 August 2007

Source: GNA

Police commander calls for tolerance in Winneba

Winneba (C/R), Aug 15, GNA- The New Winneba District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jordan Quaye has urged the people of Winneba to tolerate the views of each other to help ensure peace and tranquility.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Winneba on Tuesday, ASP Jordan Quaye expressed his concern about the increasing rate of assaults cases, fighting and confrontations in the area. According to him the police receive an average of 36 to 39 of such cases monthly, adding that in July 2007 alone the police at Winneba recorded 40 assaults cases.

The Police commander said if they had tolerated the views of each other, cases of this nature would not have occurred. The new Police Commander said the Police in collaboration with personnel from the Police Training School and the security officers at the University of Education, Winneba, have started joint night and day patrols to fight crime especially cable thieves who have off late intensified their activities.

"This office warns all telephone and electricity cable thieves to repent before we get them, we will not tolerate interventions on arrested cable thieves and other criminals".

ASP Jordan spoke against instant justice meted out on suspects in the form of lynching, saying, "It is an offence and criminal to beat or mete out any form of punishment to any suspect arrested". Suspects must be handed over to the police for proper investigation and prosecution by the law court, he said. According to him the Police Task Force was on twenty-four hour duty to offer assistance to the public and urged people to contact them when in need.

He urged the public not to abuse the police telephone lines with false calls, so that the operations of the Task Force would be very successful.