He is to be replaced immediately by the Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku.

Nine others have also been reassigned to take up various positions across the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cVnxUioaC5eQlwpWkGz41CVNcr1Wo6rC”]Whilst the reasons for the latest reshuffle are unknown; it comes at a time when the police service has come under severe criticism following an increase in robbery cases across the country.

COP Dampare, one of Ghana’s respected and celebrated police officers, was in charge of ICT at the Police Headquarters before he was made Director General of Police Operations in July 2017.

Prior to his appointment to the ICT department, he was the head of the Police Command and Staff College at Winneba in the Central Region, a position he took after he was transferred as the Accra Police Commander in May 2016, prior to the elections.

His reassignment comes at a time when some Ghanaians on social media have called on the government to sack the Interior Minister and the IGP for failing to ensure the protection of the citizenry.

The Minority in Parliament has joined calls on the President for the removal of the IGP.

Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, in an interview with Citi News argued that the security situation in the country has worsened under the watch of Mr. Asante-Apeatu as he seems to be doing little to address the problem.

While many have blamed the ineffectiveness of the police for these robbery cases in Accra and other parts of the country, they have blamed the lack of logistics for their inadequacies.

Below is s full list of the transfers

Robbers on rampage

This week has seen a number of robbery incidents in the Accra, one on a Forex Bureaux at Spintex and two daylight robberies in the North Kaneshie area.

Two persons are reported to have sustained gunshot wounds from suspected robbers who appeared to be fleeing a crime scene.

Gunfire was first heard in the area around a Latex Foam showroom at North Kaneshie where the robbers had crashed their vehicle. Two persons have since been arrested in connection with the incident.

Also on Tuesday morning, armed men stormed Royal Motors, an automobile company in Accra, making away with the company’s sales.

Eyewitnesses reported that the robbers trailed a bullion van that had entered the Industrial Area premises of the company to collect the company’s sales made the previous day.

On Wednesday, a Lebanese national of Delta Agro, a plastics manufacturing firm in Tema, was shot dead by robbers and his Ghc200, 000 stolen after he had withdrawn the money from a Zenith Bank branch in the Tema Heavy Industrial area to pay workers.

There have also been several complaints from Ghanaians in other parts of the country who say armed robbers have been terrorizing them without any help from the police.

Recent arrests

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Appeatu, this week announced that the police have arrested a group of suspected robbers believed to be behind attacks on about 20 forex bureaux in the Spintex area in 2018.

The attacks on these Forex Bureaux were growing number of robberies and high-profile criminal activity in the region.

Mobile money transfer points have also been targeted by robbers in recent times.

‘We’re ready to die’

Despite these attacks some of which have also been recorded in Accra and Tema, the Director of Operations for the Ghana Police Service, COP George Akufo Dampare has said although his outfit is logistically deficient, they are ready to put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of every Ghanaian.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Dampare also noted that the support of the citizens will go a long way to help the Police Service combat the increasing rate of crime in the country.

“We want to give them [citizens] the assurance that we will go every length, including losing our lives to make them safe. We understand that we are not there yet, in terms of the full complement of our equipment. We also understand that over the years, government after government has made an attempt to bring us to a particular level in terms of equipment,” he said.

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By:Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post COP Dampare, 10 others reassigned amidst soaring robbery cases appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In recent times, residents of Kasoa and its environs have complained about the frequent robbery attacks and called for increased protection from the police.

[contextly_sidebar id=”llBJdPIeKXuewjUt8D1LGbN9iCiwoaqu”]Speaking to journalists at the launch of ‘Operation Hit Hard’ as part of efforts to foil the attempts of armed robbers, the Central Regional Police commander, COP Rev Neenyi David Ampah Banin, assured residents of Kasoa that their safety is guaranteed.

“The Regional Police Command has noticed with concern the increasing crime rate in Kasoa and its environs and would like to assure residents and all stakeholders that measures are being put in place or measures are in place already to address the situation as Christmas is approaching. Therefore, today [Tuesday], we want to launch our “Operation Hit Had” or “2H” and we would sustain it well after even the Christmas” he said

“We want to assure the suspects; people who want to cause havoc on the peaceful, law-abiding citizens of Kasoa that they should standby because the police would be on their heels. As I’m talking right now, we have brought in new sets of police constables numbering about 39 to come and augment the strength of the Kasoa division and they will start operation now, immediately after the launch of the operation hit hard, which would be sustained well after the Christmas.”

He added that, “Senior Officers from all the divisions will all be deployed, no officer is going to rest. Officers from Cape Coast will also come and assist them.  So we want to assure the city of Kasoa that if they are crying, we have heard their cry. Kasoa is going to be peaceful. We are going to eliminate every single criminal from this society and everybody would love to come and live in Kasoa”.

Kasoa, Amanfrom residents live in fear

Robbers have constantly been terrorizing residents at Kasoa and surrounding areas including Amanfrom.

The residents have on numerous occasions blamed the police for not acting swiftly anytime they are under attack.

In a rather bizarre situation in August 2017, some residents after apprehending a suspected robber, burnt him after lynching him.

Speaking to Citi News on the development, the Kasoa Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Samuel Winful, condemned the act, adding that the police is investigating the incident, and would arrest those involved in lynching the suspect.

According to him, “Police cannot be everywhere 24 hours. People should be mindful of their own security. Any suspected movement around their vicinity, they should draw the attention of the Police; and if you inform the Police about a suspected behavior we will not expose you.”

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By: Michael Ogbodu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post More police officers deployed to combat robbers in Kasoa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.