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The Brong-Ahafo Region generally recorded a considerable decrease in robbery incidents in 2013 than 2012. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Patrick Adusei Sarpong, Deputy Regional Police Commander, who said this, added that the menace was however rampant on Atebubu-Kwame Danso- Kajeji trunk road than all other areas in the region. He explained that due to the bad nature of that road, the robbers could act frequently, but due to measures like Police escort put in place by the Regional Police Command, robbery in the region as a whole had now reduced considerably. ACP Sarpong, addressing the Regional Police Command�s annual get-together, popularly referred to as West African Security Services Association (WASSA), in Sunyani, said some of the robbers arrested were prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 70 years. The celebration marked a period of stock-taking of the previous year�s performance, and mapping out of strategies to perform even better services in the current and ensuing years. ACP Sarpong said more swoops were conducted for the arrest and prosecution of narcotic offences, as there was an increase of 66 per cent in narcotic cases. The Deputy Regional Police Commander expressed satisfaction that Brong-Ahafo was one of the few regions in the country which did not record any market fire outbreak in 2013. He explained that the Police Service in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) secured all markets in the region, after extensive public education had taken place. Tents were erected as Security Posts in the major markets in the region for the provision of 24 hours joint security surveillance by Police-Fire Service personnel, he added. ACP Sarpong said whereas in 2012 the region recorded 51 per cent of knock-down cases, the figure drastically reduced to 13 per cent in 2013, due to the effective collaboration of the Police with other stakeholders in the transport industry, to educate road users on measures to ensure safety on the roads. He advised police personnel to exhibit professionalism in the course of their duties, by desisting from practices which were classified as misconduct. Mr. Justice Samuel Adjei, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, advised the police to avoid complacency, to be able to build on the security achievements the Service had made. This, Mr. Adjei explained, was because without peace and security, government could not implement its policies and programmes for the progress of the country. Mr. Kwasi Ameyaw Kyeremeh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East, commended the Command for its good works, and expressed optimism that personnel would continue to offer selfless services to maintain the peaceful co-existence in the region. He donated GHC2,000.00 towards the celebration.