The Kintampo Municipal Assembly has built a new headquarters for the Kintampo District Police Command at an estimated cost of GHC121, 706.90.
The building, which was inaugurated last Thursday at Kintampo, was funded from the Assembly’s share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).
The one-storey building has offices for the District Commander, District CID, Community Police and Court office, Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), cells for men and women, armoury, three store rooms, six washrooms, a reception, orderly room, typing pool and a conference hall.
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, in an address read for him, appealed to the Police to intensify their efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and illegal logging in the Region.
"The Police must endeavour to protect the environment for posterity since these activities are degrading the environment," he added.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo commended the Police in the Region for their professionalism, hard work and dedication to duty which had made the Region one of the most peaceful in the country.
He said their focus in improving community policing services had led to the rapid growth in efficiency of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to adequately address the problem of vulnerable women and children in the society.
He said offences such as rape, murder, child trafficking, child abuse and defilement had reduced due to the vigilance of the Police while their night patrols had yielded positive results with reduction in highway armed robberies.
Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in a speech read for him, said the highway from Techiman through Kintampo to Buipe in the Northern Region was the leading highway for robbery in the country.
He said the Police recorded about four highway robberies within a week, and in most of them, there were casualties, loss of monies and properties but the situation had improved because of good and prudent measures instituted by the Police administration.
Mr Quaye said Kintampo was noted for unlawful break-ins, stealing and other crimes which the Police alone could not handle without the cooperation of the general public.
The IGP therefore, stressed the need for the creation of neighbourhood watch-dog committees to complement efforts of the Police in fighting crime.
He said another way of controlling such crimes was the community policing concept which had been established in the district, and announced that two of the police personnel had already undergone training to start operations.
Alhaji Alhassan Seidu Harrison, Kintampo Municipal Chief Executive, said the maintenance of law and order and the combat of crime was the responsibility of the Police and society.
He called for the effective discharge of that unique role, because the Municipality with a population of 96,385 needed adequate Police personnel to operate efficiently and effectively.
Alhaji said the assembly spent GHC700 weekly from their internally generated fund (IGF) and the DACF to support the Police-Military patrol team on the Techiman-Kintampo-Buipe highway because of the premium the assembly had put on security in the Municipality.