Land guards by day, armed robbers by night – Police warn of growing menace

The Central Regional Police Command has expressed worry over what the command says is the continued engagement and arming of land guards by chiefs and landowners in the region.

These gangs act as land guards in the day but at night, they are robbers and criminals, according to the command, and this threatens the security of law abiding citizens.

"These land guards who are armed by chiefs who own lands and individual property owners ostensibly to ward off encroachers turn to use their weapons in the night for robberies and other criminal activities.”

The Central Regionsl Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCOP) Ransford Moses Ninson, stated this at the end-of-year get together, popularly called "WASSA" for personnel of Service in region on Friday.

The occasion was used for merry making and stock taking, while 23 personnel who excelled in various fields were honoured.

DCOP Ninson said efforts to combat crime in the region through the use of visibility patrols had achieved results, saying criminal activities in the Central region reduced significantly in 2013 compared to figures recorded for 2012.

According to DCOP Ninson, 2013 recorded 18,676 criminal cases as against 20,181 cases in 2012.

Specifically, he noted that crime rate for offenses such as murder, robbery, rape defilement, criminal abortion and threat of death reduced significantly.

Threat of harm, defrauding by false pretenses and stealing also reduced considerably over the period he said.

DCOP Ninson urged all to continuously volunteer information to the police to help create a conducive environment for socio-economic development in the region.

On discipline, he said 10 personnel were dismissed, six reduced in rank while nine were severely reprimanded for various offenses and advised personnel of the Service to be disciplined.