The Atebubu-Amantin municipal office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a community engagement between the Ghana Police Service and the people of Paprabon, a predominantly farming community in the municipality.

According to the municipal director of the Commission, Mr. Patrick Tampugre, the dialogue forms part of activities under the Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism programme funded by the European Union.

He said the upsurge in extremist activities in our neighboring countries makes it imperative to create the necessary awareness of the threat, especially as we inch towards elections in December.

Speaking on the topics of establishing a foundation of trust between the police and community members, enhancing mutual understanding of the challenges and perspectives faced by both the police and the community in addressing violent extremism, and others, Chief Superintendent Caezar Abanga, the Atebubu divisional police commander, said his outfit exists to serve the populace and is not an instrument of oppression.

He urged the people to volunteer information to the police for prompt action and advised them to desist from taking the law into their own hands.

Conceding that there may be a few bad nuts within the service, he admonished the people to report errant police officers for disciplinary action to be taken against them.

The divisional commander spoke against the notion that the police extort money from complainants, saying people may be asked to provide transport, for instance, due to logistical constraints faced by the police.

He urged community members to take a keen interest in the activities of the youth so as to be able to detect early signs of radicalization or vulnerability to extremism, adding that it is important to monitor the activities of strangers in the community.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Thomas Prempeh Mercer, the municipal crime officer, assisted the divisional commander in answering a wide range of questions bothering the minds of members of the community.

Mr. Tampugre took the opportunity to advise the people to desist from ethnic or religion-based politics and rather vote on issues in the December general elections.