The Donkorkrom incident is nightmarish and disturbing. The knee-jerk reaction of the Police Administration has not helped matters.
While we do not begrudge the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his management board for taking such decision, we think that closing down the station there is tantamount to leaving the residents of the town to their fate; it also leaves an impression of cowardice on the part of the law enforcement system.
It is the responsibility of the State to provide security to citizens, regardless of the cost of such service.
For the law enforcement system, which draws authority from the constitution to perform this onerous and often dangerous mission, to withdraw its presence from a trouble spot even for a second suggests shirking of responsibility.
We might not be privy to what informed such a decision of national security implications, suffice it to, however, state that it falls short of security wisdom.
We hasten to state that the earlier the decision is rescinded the better it would be for the maintenance of law and order in what has become a flashpoint, albeit temporarily.
It is unfortunate that the residents of the town vent their umbrage upon the law enforcement agents. Although it was irritating to learn that two arrested cops had escaped under questionable circumstances, the torching of a police station fell short of civility.
While the action of some of the residents is condemnable and should not be entertained under any circumstance, it is an expression of angst by a frustrated people which cuts across the country.
The socio-economic challenges in the country have led to frustration which needs only a small spark to ignite.
The Donkorkrom issue should be a wakeup call for the authorities to go beyond what they are doing currently to address the teething problems facing the nation: unemployment being one of the most crucial and parlous.
We do not know how the broken bridge between the law enforcement agents and the locals is going to be mended.
There have been arrests of suspects, action which has fueled the already tensed situation.
An assemblyman, who the police claim is at the centre of the unlawful action by the residents, is being held much to the chagrin of the people of Donkorkrom. An uneasy calm is reigning in Donkorkrom: let cool heads replace the haughtiness on both sides so that normalcy would be restored.
We would also use this opportunity to call for a better screening of prospective recruits because the occasional implication of police officers in criminal activities which triggered the mayhem in Donkorkrom is the result of interference in the recruitment process. Integrity standards appear to have been lowered because of interference by top politicians whose party is in power.
It is really unacceptable for police officers who are cited in robbery operations to make such negative headlines.