Accra June 29, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Mr Douglas Akrofi Asiedu on Wednesday lauded the cordial relationship between the Media and the Police and said this should be maintained to help in the fight against crime. Mr Akrofi Asiedu said this when he visited the Ghana News Agency (GNA) as part of his familiarisation tour to Media houses in the Region.

The Regional Commander, who was full of praise for the good work the Media was doing, however, urged Journalists to constantly contact the Police to get their side of a story before publishing. He said he was impressed with the work of the Agency and added: "I know about the GNA and what you are doing".

Mr Jonathan Yakubu, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and Deputy Regional Commander, reiterated the need for the Media to work closely with the Police to fight crime. He urged the Media to be forthcoming with information that could help the Police achieve the desired goals in their fight against crime. Mr Yakubu advised Media personnel to avoid soliciting information from the junior officers of the service. "You must always talk to the Public Relations Officer or to the senior officers, who we are sure will give the right information," he said.

Nana Appau Duah, Supervising Chief Editor of the Agency, urged the Police to always rely on GNA for balanced reporting saying the GNA had a policy to reject one-sided stories. Nana Appau Duah, who is also the Acting General Manager of the Agency, pledged the maximum cooperation of the Agency. Mrs Bernadette Chinery Hesse, Administrative Manager of the Agency, said there had been a long standing relationship between the Police and the Agency and expressed the hope that the visit would strengthen the existing relationship.

Mr Mawusi Afele, News Editor, urged the Police to give out it schedules to the Agency ahead of time to enable it to plan well. Mr Boakye-Dankwa Boadi, Chief Editor in charge of the Home Desk, said the Agency had the widest reach among all the media houses in the country with 65 radio and television stations, newspapers and magazines subscribing to its files. He urged the Police to avail themselves of the services of the Agency to reach the whole country and beyond.