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The Ashanti Regional Commander of Police, DCOP Kofi Boakye, has stressed that the late reporting of criminal incidents does not help the police in its quest to combat crime.

The regional police boss noted that modern day policing requires active and timely release of information, emphasizing that lateness in reporting incidents does not augur well for an effective and efficient operations.

DCOP Kofi Boakye indicated that the police can perform efficiently and nib criminal activities in the bud if the public and more especially victims of criminal activities can alert the security as soon as possible.

Speaking in an interview with a local radio station in Kumasi, HELLO FM, the regional commander lamented that the unfortunate development was as a result of the fact that many Ghanaians are not conscious of police emergency numbers, which they can fall on in times of distress.

“It is our duty as citizens to know security emergency numbers at our fingertips so that in moment of distress we can quickly call and alert the police. We can fall on the 191, or the 18555 when there is trouble so that the police can assist,” he stressed.

DCOP Kofi Boakye noted that due to the complexity of the human nature, crime will always be part of the society, stressing however that what matters is the way these activities are handled.

“We can’t eradicate crime totally from our society but the most important thing when it happens, we are able to handle it in order to bring peace and safety to the people,” he emphasized.

According to him, his outfit has embarked on several measures that have assisted in stemming the tirade of criminal activities in the Ashanti Region.

He noted that the buoyant presence of Police Patrol Team and personnel of the Visibility Units at various points in the city and on major highways have contributed tremendously in the reduction of criminal activities in the region.

DCOP Kofi Boakye further stressed that all Divisional and District Commands in the region have been instructed to constantly ensure absolute peace and safety of residents under their jurisdiction.

“I have constructed a league table for all commanders which is reviewed at the end of every week so no commander wants to be on top of the league,” he noted, adding that the measure is meant to encourage all superiors to work hard and ensure the reduction of crime in their areas.

The Ashanti Regional Commander therefore encouraged the attitude of community self help in the area of provision of facilities such as building of police stations in order to enhance operations.

“Most police stations you see around were not done by the Police Service as a body but by individuals and corporate bodies to complement the efforts of government. I will encourage people to continue to do so and once these stations are constructed, we will not hesitate to deploy personnel to the areas for operations,” he pointed out.