General News of Wednesday, 18 December 2002

Source: GNA

Police to deal with indiscipline on the roads

Nana Stephen Owusu-Nsiah, Inspector General of Police, on Wednesday said that the Police Administration would deal ruthlessly with drivers whose indiscipline could cause or lead to accidents on the roads during this Christmas festivities.

"Therefore all police officers who may misconduct themselves either by omission or commission would also be severely dealt with," he said.

The Police boss was speaking at a media encounter to brief journalists on preparations of the Police Service to curb crime during the Christmas holidays.

Nana Owusu-Nsiah said vehicle owners should ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, adding that passengers should also value their lives by avoiding vehicles that are not roadworthy.

He urged transport unions to endeavour to advise their members to respect traffic regulations, avoid speeding and overloading, which can lead to fatal accidents.

Nana Owusu-Nsiah assured the nation that police would go all out to check crime in the country.

On the media, Nana Owusu-Nsiah said his administration would continue to strengthen its relations with the media to promote trust and confidence.

He noted that this should not be seen as a bait to influence the media's reportage but rather to create an atmosphere of cooperation to avoid misrepresentation of issues.

The Police Chief said government has directed the administration to recruit up to 4,000 policemen in the next two years to meet the limited manpower requirement of the service.

On logistics, he said over 450 vehicles have been received so far from the government while requirement of communications equipment have also been improved.

Nana Owusu-Nsiah appealed to NGOs, churches businesses and organisations to support the Police either financially or materially to help the police to live up to the challenges of maintaining law and order.

On the six policemen implicated in the May nine stadium disaster, Nana Owusu-Nsiah said the police have no reason to shield any officer but would allow the courts to decide the guilt or otherwise of anyone implicated.