Kumasi, Dec.15, GNA - About 119 suspected armed robbers were arrested and put before court from January to December this year. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Frank Adu-Poku, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, disclosed this in Kumasi on Thursday. Addressing a pre-Christmas press conference on security before, during and after the Yuletide, he proposed a high profile meeting of Heads of the criminal justice system, to moot for discussions on the expedient way to fast track suspected armed robbery cases without necessarily interfering with the work of the judiciary.

ACP Adu-Poku said the police would now pursue criminals through their research and intelligence teams, and not chase them as in the past and therefore, advised criminals to get delivered, repent and stay off illegal drug use. "Research has proven that the police are rather too soft on criminals and hardly engage in gun battles with them for obvious administration concerns. May I critically state that our men and women are more resolved to beat down all forms of crime to the barest minimum than people perceive," He stressed.

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander said this perception of police hospitality had obviously bedevilled some criminals from some West-African countries to team up resources to operate in Ghana, notably Accra and Kumasi. "The same warning goes out to those who made wrong and hasty decisions to come to Ghana and Kumasi in particular. The earlier they converted as tourists, the better for them, so they can make a detour alive," He added.

ACP Adu-Poku assured the public of maximum security for them to enjoy the Christmas and pointed out that the administration had deployed plain clothed police personnel and uniformed personnel to patrol the crowded shopping centres, busy city centres, market places, drinking spots, discotheques, lorry parks, the train station and seasonal crime prone areas. He said the vigour with which the police would combat crime in order to make life uncomfortable for criminals would not be limited to Kumasi but would be carried out in all farm lands, communities, villages, towns, workplaces, mining and other industrial places, including the home.