The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor, has issued a directive to all commanders of the service across the country to arrest and deal with perpetrators of vandalism and seizure of public facilities.
In line with the directive, the commanders are to report on actions taken in relation to such cases to the IGP, latest by the end of next week Friday.
Breach of law
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police Mr Cephas Arthur, said “the perpetrators of the acts of vandalism and those who take over state properties have breached the law and must be dealt with”.
He said the police were making every effort to maintain law and order in the wake of the attacks by some youth of some political parties on their opponents and on some state facilities.
To ensure the maintenance of law and order, Mr Arthur said, the police had put in place various operational measures in place to prevent such disturbances.
Some of the operational measures put in place by the Police Administration, according to him, included deployment of policemen to public facilities to provide protection.
So far, he said, the police, as a result of intelligence gathered, had managed to foil or prevent some attempts by some miscreants to either vandalise or seize some state properties.
There had also been instances when the police had been on hand to quell some acts of vandalism being perpetrated by some alleged political party supporters, he added.
Attacks
Since the declaration of the results of the 2016 presidential and parliamentary results, some youth have allegedly attacked their political opponents, while others have attempted to take over state properties.
There have also been instances when such attacks, including causing harm to political opponents and breaking into state property or setting it ablaze, have led to reprisal attacks.
Some of the facilities which have been taken over include toll booths on highways, toilet facilities, toll collection by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies at markets and lorry stations, among others.
A number of people have been arrested in relation to such illegal actions, with some facing court actions, while others are being investigated for their involvement in acts of vandalism or attacks.
“The Police Administration wishes to assure the public that every effort is being made to bring perpetrators of these attacks and seizures to book,” Mr Arthur said.
He, therefore, called on the public to volunteer information to the police to enable them to prevent the breach of the peace and arrest perpetrators of such crimes.
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