The Ghana Police Service, last year dismissed six personnel from the Central Regional Command, reduced the rank of five other officers, and severely reprimanded two others for disciplinary offences.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Moses Ransford Ninson, the Central Regional Police Commander, announced this at the annual West African Security Services Association (WASSA) celebration at the Police Headquarters in Cape Coast, at the weekend.

He said the Police officer was first and foremost a servant of the State and a friend of the people, therefore, he must display a life of continuous, faithful, and loyal service.

It was then expected that all Police personnel would dedicate themselves to their work, and be courteous but firm in all their dealings with the public, he said.

In this light, the Regional Commander, whose speech was read on his behalf by his Deputy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Frederick Adu-Anim, observed that the Police Service, as a Regimental Institution placed emphasis on discipline and frowned upon any act that undermined it.

The Police Service, he said, would, therefore, not shield its officers when they had any infraction with the law, and cautioned the officers to refrain from such acts of indiscipline.

Mr. Ninson, however, emphasized that the Police Administration would continue to take cognizance of hard working personnel who acted professionally and honour them accordingly to motivate them.

He said during the year 2014, the Region recorded 18,679 criminal cases, as against 18, 676 cases in the previous year, showing an increase of three cases.

The Regional Commander noted that though the total number of accidents that occurred in the Region in 2013 reduced from 1, 162 to 1, 037 cases in 2014, the inter-agency collaboration among all stakeholders had to be sustained in order to bring road traffic accidents to the barest minimum.

He said one ugly issue gaining root in the Region in areas such as Winneba, Kasoa, Agona Swedru, Assin Fosu, Dunkwa-On-Offin, among others, was the use of land guards who armed themselves with all sorts of weapons, and sometimes killed, maimed or threatened innocent people who purchased lands.

“The land owners who sold plots of land to these innocent people turn round and sell the same land to other people, companies or estate developers,” he noted.

This double or triple sale of land, he said, was therefore, the major cause of these barbaric activities perpetrated by the so-called land guards.

DCOP Ninson cautioned that the Police Service would deal ruthlessly with land owners, estate developers and other individuals who recruited these land guards to terrorise people.

On projection for year 2015, the Central Regional Command, in line with the five-year strategic National Policing Plan, he said, was determined to achieve the objective of the Ghana Police Service for the year.

These include increasing Police visibility and accessibility to ensure community safety and reduce crime; reduce crime within the Region by undertaking swoops at various criminal hideouts, especially within the Metropolis, and to reduce the fear for criminals.

Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Central Regional Minister, expressed worry about the environmental effect of illegal mining activities, popularly called ‘galamsey’ in the Region.

He promised to support the Regional Police Command in any capacity to flush out these ‘galamsey’ operators from the region, whom he said also churned out criminals.

Mr. Tawiah Quansah said security was a shared responsibility, and urged the public to assist by volunteering information on crimes and criminals to the Police.

Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, who chaired the occasion, charged the Police to employ modern trends in Policing to combat crime since criminals were in recent times adopting new tricks and technologies in their criminal activities.

He lauded the Security apparatus for ensuring a relatively peaceful environment in the Region, and appealed to them to be always guided by the tenets of their professional conduct and ethics.

In all, 18 Police personnel in the junior officer category and six civilian employees were awarded with certificates of recognition for their hard work and meritorious performances.

WASSA is celebrated annually to take stock of achievements of personnel of the security services and to formulate strategies for the way forward in the years ahead.