Bongo (UE), Feb. 20, GNA - Police-community relations have improved tremendously resulting in a reduction of criminal cases in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, District Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Tetteh Zuta has said. "In the past years, as a result of poor police community relations, the crime wave (in the district) was quite alarming, but over the past two years, the trend had improved due to the initiation of Community-Police partnership in the area," ASP Zuta told Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bongo on Thursday. He commended the Bongo Civic Union (BODCU), a Civic Organization that educates the community on their rights and responsibilities, for playing a significant role in sensitizing the community on the need to build good rapport and help the police in combating crime by volunteering information.

BODCU has organized sensitization programmes such as durbars where the police have been invited to make presentations on the laws and educated the people to avoid crimes. ASP Zuta also commended the paramount chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyarom, and his sub-chiefs for contributing to the reduction of crime in the area and urged them to sustain the trend. The Assemblywoman for Bongo-Soe Awakbisi, Ms Gifty Ania, told GNA that BODCU had made a lot of impact on the area, adding that as a result of its sensitisation programme, many more traders were now paying their taxes.

Since its formation in 2006, BODCU has undertaken public education on civic rights and responsibilities and has assisted the District Assembly to mobilize resources for the development of the area. The Union's engagements have also strengthened Citizen-Government partnership both at community and district levels, in addition to enhancing collaboration with development partners in civic empowerment and helping to promote peace and unity in the district. However, funding has been a major challenge facing the Union, its president, Pius Agunma-Gaara said and appealed to development partners to support it with resources.