Residents of Tema West Municipality have been advised to take their security serious by putting in measures to secure their lives and properties.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) David Agyemang Adjem, Baatsonaa Divisional Police Commander, gave the advice on Monday in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a presentation to his outfit by the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA).

ACP Adjem said the security of person and property was a primary responsibility of everyone and therefore residents must take it seriously and be vigilant at all times.

He gave the assurance that his outfit would do its best to protect lives and properties in the Municipality but residents must see themselves as an important part of achieving that aim.

He said residents must consider investing in security gadgets including close-circuit television (CCTV) camera, and put in place other measures like secure locks for their premises.

He noted that due to the peculiar nature of the area being predominantly residential and industrial, pilfering and break-ins were the common crimes in the Municipality.

The commander, however, added that offenses against persons and properties in the area had reduced between 25 to 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the documented ones during the same period in 2018.

He expressed worry about the springing up of wooden structures all over the place especially behind people’s houses and residence serving as a haven for criminals who committed crimes against residents.

ACP Adjem, therefore, appealed to the TWMA to effectively and strictly enforce its byelaws on the siting of such structures to curb their activities in the area.

He also called for the establishment of more police stations and posts in the Municipality to bring policing closer to the people.

The TWMA donated items worth 200,000 Ghana cedis to the Baatsonaa Divisional Police Command to be distributed to the five districts under its jurisdiction as part of measures to augment the work of the Police.

The items included eight desktop computers, two printers, three air conditioners, two office desk, two swivel chairs, four visitors’ chairs and five double door cupboards.

The others were five 32 inch television sets, two pieces of four drawer cabinets, a stabilizer, one CCTV camera, two water pumping machines, 40 conference chairs, 20 PVC swivel chairs and an office desk.

Mrs Adjoa Amoako, TWMA Chief Executive, during the presentation, pledged that “the Assembly will, with effect from this month this month, provide fuel worth One Thousand Ghana Cedis to each District Police Command to be used strictly for their day and night community patrol duties”.