N/R: We’ll Be Tough on Criminals – Police Boss

The Northern Regional Police commander, DCOP Patrick Adusei Sarpong, has served notice to criminals his personnel will meet them “ruthlessly” as part of efforts to combat rising crime in the region.

Speaking at the launch of an exercise coded “Operation Calm Life”, DCOP Sarpong warned traditional leaders and politicians to stop interfering in their works, especially during the arrest of persons close to them.

The police boss is calling on all to help make the exercise a success.

He assured the police will henceforth confront and arrest rampaging vigilante groups, motor riding gunmen in the hard-to-reach hotspots and deadly armed gangs in the metropolis staging fatal heists on Oil Marketing companies.

“The past interventions they have made in the work of the security men, is going to be a thing of the past and therefore we are going to work without fear or favour. Damn the consequences!” he declared.

The soft spoken commander assured security forces will respond ruthlessly with full force declaring a war against criminals still lurking around to commit crimes in the region.

“For the criminals, just a word for them; an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. We will deal ruthlessly anytime, anywhere we get them,” DCOP Sarpong charged.

More than 30 people have been killed in the region since the start of the year with most of the killings being carried out by gunmen who have evaded capture. Many of the killings were linked to chieftaincy disputes.

The operation was the idea of the Regional Security Council and facilitated by the Coordinating Council in their commitment to counter and control the rate of crime in the region, already plagued by chieftaincy, land and tribal conflicts.

Twelve pickup vehicles to aid in the operation were provided to the security forces in the region. About 300 armed special taskforce from the state security agencies who have received vigorous training were deployed for the operation.

The Regional Minister and chairman of the Security Council, Salifu Saeed explained the aim of the operation was to provide safer atmosphere for residents in the region.

“We have gathered here this morning to launch operation Suhudoo in English it means calm life which signifies the determination of government under the leadership of His Excellence President Nana Akufo-Addo and our security agencies in the region to provide a secure atmosphere for every person living in Northern Region.”

Salifu Saeed said the current security situation has created fear among communities and declared security agencies would effectively deal with perpetrators of the condemnable acts.

“What we are witnessing now should send the strongest indications to those nation wreckers that their days are numbered and that we will not allow anyone or group of persons to foment trouble, be it a robbery, chieftaincy, religious or political party confusion,” he said.

He asked for collaborations from all stakeholders, more particularly the chiefs and traditional heads and advised against shielding offenders even when they are relatives.

“We must give information on criminal elements even if they are our family members, tribesmen or women, or political party members. If we shield these miscreants because they are related to us, they would end up destroying the society and making life ungovernable”.

He stressed the need to embrace peace and end all forms of hostilities towards others and reminded residents that years of violence that continue to rattle government treasury and over stretched security forces, is the main reason for the human and economic sufferings in the region.

“Day in and day out, our security agencies continued to be stretched beyond their capacity as a result of chieftaincy issues like in Bimbila, Kafabar, Kalampor, Damongo, Bole, Kpatinga, Jantong, and quite recently, ethnic problems in Daboya or Gonja North.

“In all of these, security has to be deployed, sometimes very short notice at a great cost. Assemblies and the Regional Coordinating Council continue to spend heavy resources in this security deployment; resources that could have been utilized for making lives better for our people are used for security deployment. We cannot continue that way, when we have numerous problems of bad roads, lack of potable water, poor health facilities, poor school infrastructure and general poverty,” the minister lamented.

The event was witnessed by chiefs, officers of the Peace Council, Heads of departments, Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executives and other stakeholders including members of the public.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline