Sunyani (B/A) March 30, GNA - The Police in Brong-Ahafo Region recorded 34 cases of murder in 2009 as compared to 47 cases in the previous year, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Seth Charles Oteng, Regional Police Commander has said.

He said the region recorded 58 cases of armed robbery in 2009 as against 77 cases in 2008. This was announced at a get-together party organized by the Service for personnel in Sunyani on Tuesday. DCOP Oteng explained that intensive patrols coupled with the provision of armed escorts to transport operators brought reduction to the spate of armed robbery.

He said out of the 21 suspected armed robbers apprehended, 20 had been remanded into prison custody with the one convicted into 20 years imprisonment with hard labour.

He said modern policing was not the sole preserve of the Ghana Police Service but a partnership between the police and the general public. "Good and effective policing needs to be built upon a solid foundation of community acceptance and support of the police and what they seek to achieve," DCOP Oteng said.

He advised the public to appreciate and accept the role of the police and support them in the discharge of their duties. Mr Oteng said the Police Service was an enviable institution to protect life and property, but noted with regret that some personnel had been apprehended for engaging in acts of robbery, rape and extortion that had drag the name of the service into disrepute.

He said the Service last year lost 75 police personnel in the region through death, retirement and transfers. He added that lack of residential accommodation was a major challenge to the Service. DCOP Oteng expressed the optimism that the various communities would champion the course of accommodating personnel and providing logistics such as bicycles, torch lights and water bottles for effective patrols to ward off criminals.