The Ghana Police Service has revealed that it has arrested 89 individuals across the country for destruction of public properties and vandalism after polls ended on December 7th.
The press conference led by the Director of Public Affairs at the Police Headquarters in Accra was to throw light on how the security agents are taking steps to maintain law and order in the country after a relatively peaceful conduct of the polls.
Speaking at press time midday on December 9th as of 12:00 noon , the Director of Public Affairs , ACP Grace Ansah Akrofi indicated that the total number of arrests ( 89) were made in connection with some enthusiastic party supporters attacking state installations and vandalizing same before the certified results were released by the Electoral Commission on Monday , 9th December .
She added that the men of the Service have been on grounds to make sure law and order are not thrown to the dogs by errant members of society .
” The Ghana Police Service has activated its post Election security phase of our operations and latest information we have is that 89 members of the public across several locations in the country have been picked up by state security for indulging in anti social behaviour by attacking government offices and destroying properties in tandem , we wish to caution the general Public that ,the Service will be unyielding in our efforts to deal ruthlessly with anyone who wants to take the law into their own hands to disturb public peace .
Such deviants will be put before the law courts subsequently and held responsible for damage to property both public and private without fear or favour “.
Also, ACP Ansah Akrofi intimated that as part of urgent and proactive measures put in place by the National Elections Taskforce to preserve lives and property before ,during and after the Elections is still on course and as such , both mobile and stationary security teams have been put on high alert across all divisions in the country to pick up intelligence and deal ruthlessly with miscreants in tandem with the law .
There is also the deployment of technology instruments like body cameras on officers and use of CCTV to capture any likely illegalities and public misconduct by citizens for future prosecutions where the need arises .
” We as the National Elections Security Taskforce have deployed security architecture and IT systems to do a 24 hr all round monitoring all across our divisions in the country to keep a lid on preserving public safety and peace . We would like to plead with leadership of all parties to speak to their members and followers to be civil and responsible in the way they behave in the next few days post Elections . The Service will have zero tolerance for any lawless actions and will arrest such offending persons and arraign them before court for swift prosecution “.
