Ashanti Regional Command identifies "languardism" as emerging crime in the region


The new Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCoP Kwasi Mensah Duku, says there is an emergence of landguard as a crime in the region and has warned any individual or group involved to stop the practice or be prepared to suffer the consequences. 

At his first media interaction in Kumasi to outline his security plans for the region, DCoP Duku indicated that he is determined to better the six point-five per cent crime reduction recorded last bequeathed to him by his immediate predecessor to ensure residents and visitors to the region go about their routine lawful activities without fear. 

The Ashanti is one of the densely populated administrative regions of Ghana. 

However, there is an acute inadequate number of Police personnel whose current staff strength stands at four thousand, 479 effectively making the Police-civilian ration One to One Thousand. 

This situation is in contrast to the United Nations prescribed Police-Civilian ratio of One to 500. 

Despite this obvious drawback in crime combat in the region, the Police have being doing their best culminating in a six point-four percent reduction in crime commission last year as against the figures recorded in 2016. 

The change in the headship of the Regional Police Command is another strategy by the Police Administration to sustain the gains made. 

DCoP Mr. Kwasi Mensah Duku has taken over from CoP Ken Yeboah as the new Regional Police Commander. 

DCoP Duku previously served as a Deputy Regional Commander. 

He has returned from the Western region where he served as the Regional Commander. 

His first media interaction in Kumasi was to assure the chiefs and people of the Ashanti region of his preparedness to help make the region peaceful place for residents and visitors to go about their lawful businesses without fear. 

DCoP Duku identified what he called languardism and rivalry among gangs as emerging crime in the region, particularly, the capital, Kumasi. 

To deal with these and all other crimes, the new Regional Commander mentioned increase in mobile patrols, revamping of Community Watch Dogs among others as his strategies to fight crime during his tenure.

Responding to questions from the journalists later, the Regional Crime Officer, ACoP Peter Baba(officer in suit) and the Tafo-Pankrono Divisional Commander, ACP Agrippa took turns to give updates on the shooting of personnel involved in the Agogo Fulani herdsmen evacuation and the murder of a final year student of the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School last month.

Story filed by GBC's Francis Abedi in Kumasi.

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