The Police Service is insisting there is no need for fear of crime and panic in the country, especially the Tema metropolis, following the incident that resulted in the death of a police officer.
The Service has assured it is putting in place measures to safeguard the lives of its personnel and citizens, and has not relented in efforts to make the Tema Metropolis safe.
Speaking to the media at a Police press conference on Wednesday, the Director-General of Police Operations, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said he didn’t necessarily believe there was any heightened insecurity in the country.
“All over the place we have night patrols, we have daytime patrols and we have been seeing policemen stationed at various points whose presence we know will deter would-be offenders. So there is no insecurity per se.”
“But as you are all aware, in the discharge of our duties, we come face to face with certain hazards. Bad persons are out there who may want to take out the police officer on duty. It happens everywhere. But the fact that one or two police officers have perished while on duty does not lead to a conclusion that there is general insecurity,” COP Yohuno said.
Michel camp shooting
The main press conference, addressed by the Tema Regional Police Commander, George Tufuor, followed the killing of a police officer, at Tulaku near Michel Camp in the Tema area.
The officer, Michael Kporye, was on night-time patrol duties using his motorbike when the two unknown armed assailants, who were also on a motorbike, shot and killed him.
A suspect in the shooting is believed to have been shot dead by the Police on Wednesday morning. The suspect, popularly referred to as “Dogo America” had been on Police wanted list for some time now.
Police at the press conference said he had been stockpiling arms within the Tema Metropolis, and they believe many of these arms are being used by land guards to protect the property of people.
Dogo America was said to have commanded “60 trigger happy land guards. He is believed to have a stockpile of arms and ammunition, some of which have been retrieved and is at the CID headquarters.”
Recounting some previous encounters with the gang, DCOP Tuffuor noted that: “On July 30, 2015, two AK 47 rifles and ammunition concealed in a sack were retrieved by a police team from one of his hideouts. The case is currently pending before a court. In November 2016, eight weapons were retrieved from him [Dogo America] at his block factory. On Thursday, June 8, 2017, a member of his gang engaged police in a shootout at Tema Community 9 which also resulted in the death of the gang member.”
Source: citifm
