December 7 elections: Western Region Police offers liaison officers to facilitate work of journalists

The Ghana Police Service’s Western Regional Command is taking proactive steps to ensure a smooth and peaceful electoral process ahead of the December 7 elections.

They’re offering police liaison officers to assist media houses in the region in a bid foster collaborative relationship between the two bodies.

This initiative promotes effective communication and coordination, ensuring that any security concerns are addressed promptly.

Regional Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei-Akoto and his deputy, ACP Dr. Kwame Tsidi, have expressed their gratitude to the media for their support during the Electoral Commission’s registration and exhibition exercises, as well as party internal elections.

With the special voting scheduled for December 2 and the general elections on December 7, the police command recognizes the importance of engaging with the media to understand their needs and provide necessary support.

This proactive approach will help ensure a secure and peaceful environment for the electoral process.

At the short media and police engagement, DCOP Arthur Osei-Akoto mentioned that “The Western Regional Police Command is introducing a collaborative initiative with media houses to enhance security during the electoral process.”

Key aspects of this initiative include:

1. Allocation of police officers to media houses as coordinators and liaison officers.
2. Establishment of a direct link for media personnel to report security concerns, ensuring swift police response.
3. Request for media outlets to share their itineraries with assigned police officers to ensure adequate security provision.
4. Encouragement for media houses to share security-related information to inform police deployment strategies.

By working together, we aim to provide a secure environment for media personnel to perform their duties during this critical period”.

To address Clement Adzi Boye’s question regarding security arrangements for accredited individuals at polling stations during ballot sorting, DCOP Arthur Osei-Akoto said “The plan is to divide the polling center into three distinct perimeters: an outer, middle, and inner perimeter. The inner perimeter will be restricted to individuals with accreditation, as it’s essential to maintain order and prevent chaos in this area.”

“Only authorized personnel with specific functions will be allowed within the inner perimeter. The outer perimeter, however, will be more accessible, but to gain entry to the middle perimeter, accreditation will be required.”

To ensure a peaceful and secure electoral process, DCOP Arthur Osei-Akoto stated that sufficient police officers will be deployed to all polling centers. This measure aims to maintain order and prevent any irregularities during and after the elections.

By Ebenezer Atiemo

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