MP Appeals for Police Presence amidst Crime Spate in Sissala West

Member of Parliament for Sissala West in the Upper West Constituency, Hon Adams Mohammed Sukparu has reiterated his calls for police presence and vigilance in the Constituency following a series of criminal activities including terrorism threats in the area.

In a question posed to the Minister for the Interior on the floor of parliament last Thursday, November 10, the MP said widespread criminal activities including terrorism by the jihadist in neigbouring Burkina Faso has emphasized the runaway crime situation, now prevalent in the constituency.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for the Interior what steps the Ministry has taken to improve police presence in and around the Sissala West District to deter criminal activities and threats of terrorism,” Hon Sukparu asked.

The Sector Minister Hon Ambros Dery in response said the government it is the desire of the government to provide security services for all citizens and that the police services would continue to ensure adequate security protections to Ghanaians including the people of Sissala West to enable them to go about their daily activities without fear or favour.

He added that as a result government has provided some logistics to the police to enable them to perform their duties effectively, emphasizing that, “soon some districts including Sissala West will receive additional logistics to enhance their operational and combat readiness as well as the deployment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU) to deal with a security threat in the District.”

The Minister explained that, in order to enhance policing across the board, the police would in the coming days post the newly passed out Police Constables to all regions to ensure police presence and effectiveness.

However, Mr. Dery said, “security is a shared responsibility” and as much as the citizens expect the security to perform their work and deter crime in communities, the services also depend on the residents to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of suspects and perpetrators of criminal activities.

He further assured the MP, the police would not discriminate in the execution of their work and would patrol every part of the criminals, especially border Districts like Sissala West to provide security protection to the people and the country as a whole.

But Hon Sukparu appealed to the Ministry to set up Police Posts in the crime hot spot and for the increased presence by law enforcement, to stem the surge of crime in what was once a peaceful community in the constituency.

He said, criminal activity has increased in recent times and if not stemmed, could be a precursor to increased criminality in the country, pointing out that many residents have fallen victim to one form of crime or the other, especially stealing, burglary and robbery.

The MP expressed the hope the Minister’s promises to provide security including a newly passed out constable would not be lip service, but pragmatic as the question many citizens asked, Has the government lost control of serious crime and gang activity in the country?”