Bolgatanga (Upper East) 19 Feb '99

Crime cases reported to the Police in the Upper East region reduced from 2,874 in 1997 to 2,124 in 1998 a drop of 26 per cent. A release issued in Bolgatanga and signed by Mr Adolphus Wemegah, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the region, said although assault and stealing are the prevalent offences in the area, the most serious ones committed during 1998 were murder, unlawful possession and distribution of narcotic drugs.

The release added that in spite of the modest decline of the crime rate in the region, the crusade against crime during the past few years cannot be said to have been richly rewarded, taking into account the fact that crime has generally been on the ascendancy nation-wide. It said the feeling among the public that maintenance of law and order is the sole responsibility of the police, as well as the tendency to withhold information about crime and criminal elements from the police poses a great hindrance to effective investigation.