The Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) is predicting that with the increasing spate of violent crimes, criminals in the country may have access to explosives in their operations.
Prof Kwesi Aning believes that ‘ordinary’ people who take cognisant decisions to acquire weapons and use them to terrorise others for economic benefit, tend to find more advanced methods in staging their crimes to evade arrest.
The security analyst submits that when an individual decides to form a group or finds people who think like him and decide to take that extra step of purchasing a weapon which is in excess in our society, then there is the likelihood the country would see a transition from AK47, pump-action guns to the use of explosives in the next couple of years.
The Chronicle finds the submission by Prof. Aning instructive and timely, especially when conversation surrounding insecurity in the country has once again been revived, following the armed robbers attack on a bullion van in James Town that left a police officer and a hawker dead.
We are glad that the Ghana Police has deployed many security personnel on the roads to intensify patrols.
But The Chronicle would like to side with Prof Aning to stress that until the state transforms its methodology in handling its security issues, violent crimes will continue to linger. Indeed, we are of the opinion that it is time for state actors to move into a higher gear and stop criminals in their tracks.
We further share in the thoughts of a section of the populace that there are so many gaps in the security system in the country, thus, making crime attractive to people who mostly feel they have been failed by the state.
Indeed, The Chronicle believes that the police service can do more in managing crimes in the country and authorities must ensure our security officers are adequately resourced to deliver on their mandate.
With the rise in crime rate and gun violence, The Chronicle would like to call on the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and the Ghana Armed Offices to use their knowledge and expertise to control this menace and safeguard lives and property.
The Chronicle would like to conclude by suggesting some tested ways to reduce crimes including; treating violence as a public health concern, developing local programmes to fight crimes, focusing on hotspots and looking at the whole picture in crime management.
Other ways include; creating well-targeted programmes to fight crimes, focusing on crime prevention, avoiding repressive policies, being proactive, focusing on gun control, moving away from the focus on poverty, understanding that violence is going virtual and finding the balance between repression and prevention.
State security must also intervene early, learn from history, keep in mind the impact of drugs, target inequality, be aware of the link between organised crime and terrorism and see violence as a priority.
We believe when state actors put their acts together, we can overcome the rising crime rates in the country.
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