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The Eastern Regional Police Command has assured voters in the Akwatia Constituency of the preparedness of the police and other security agencies to deal ruthlessly with trouble makers who will attempt to truncate the smooth conduct of the election on August 18, 2009. �Trouble makers bent on creating unnecessary tensions and engaging in electoral frauds and the snatching of ballot boxes should advise themselves and disabuse their minds of such evil intentions as the police will deal ruthlessly with anyone caught in the act,� the Command stated. The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Stephen Andoh-Kwofie, who gave the warning, stated that �not only will the presence of the police outnumber residents of Akwatia but we will go all out to make our presence more felt and protect not only the ballot materials but also the lives of the voters during the election�. He was briefing the press in Koforidua on the preparation of the command to combat crime in the New Juaben Municipality and its environs as well as its readiness to police the six polling centres at Akwatia. The meeting followed a dawn exercise involving police officers and personnel of the Eastern Regional Command on Saturday. �If a person attempts to snatch a ballot box, he has moved away from being considered as a voter to a trouble maker who needs to be harshly dealt with according to the law,� DCOP Andoh-Kwofie stated. The Regional Commander noted that lack of adequate security personnel during the 2008 elections at the Akwatia Constituency was partly taken advantage of by trouble makers to create confusion, tension as well as engage in various electoral frauds which truncated the conduct of smooth elections there. To avert recurrence of such violent act, DCOP Andoh-Kwofie gave an assurance that not only would there be more than 10 police men to be deployed to each of the six polling stations, but there would also be a stand by combat-ready force to provide the needed reinforcement in the event of any eventuality. �For this reason, the Command hopes that trouble makers will shed off their animal instincts to engage in violent behaviours during the election for their own good�, he stressed. He added that �Akwatia election is a small problem for the police and other security forces, since we  have faced tougher and bigger challenges�.