Superintendent of Police Victor Agbetonyo, the Western Regional Crime Officer, has said the general crime situation in the region has seen an increase from 6,088 in the second quarter of this year as compared to 5,067 in the second quarter of last year. "This shows an increase of 1,021, representing 21 per cent increase", he told journalists at Takoradi.
He said serious offences increased from 164 in the second quarter of last year as compared to 172 in the second quarter of this year. During the same period minor offences increased from 4,903 to 5916. Mr Agbetonyo said 10 murder cases were recorded in the second quarter of last year while 16 was recorded within the same period in 2009. This represents an increase of 60 percent. He said areas where such murder cases were recorded are Sefwi Wiawso, Asankragwa, Enchi, Half Assini and few within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
The causes of these murders were associated with litigation over farmlands, chieftaincy related and jealousy on the part of spouses. Mr Agbetonyo said 13 case of robbery cases were recorded in the second quarter of last year as compared to five in the second quarter of this year.
He said information on activities of criminals and their hideouts are sometimes impeded by socio-cultural practices and obliges people not "to give your clan's men out even if they are wrong". He said this makes the work of the police difficult and appeled to the public to give information on criminals to the police.
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