TAMALE IS VERY SAFE (PAGE 29)

“TAMALE is very safe, and the crime rate has reduced significantly,” the Northern Regional Crime Officer, Mr Peter Baba, has assured the people.
According to him, the metropolis was peaceful with people going about their businesses happily.
Armed robbery, which has been the bane of some residents in the other parts of the country, is almost non-existent in the metropolis following what the officer said was the result of the constant patrols by the security agencies. He also attributed that to the vigilance of the people and some media personnel.
Mr Baba indicated that although there had been some reported incidents of crime, “they are usually minor cases.” Indeed, most residents have collaborated with the crime officer’s assertion.
“Apart from the political violence which was witnessed in February this year, the metropolis has been very peaceful in the past seven months with people going about their duties normally,” Iddrisu Abu, a teacher, noted.
“I recall the immediate past years when some notable individuals could misbehave and walk free in the metropolis; today, there seem to be a new wind of change blowing through this beautiful city of Tamale,” he added.
A student, Rahinatu Mohammed, for her part, entreated the security agencies not to relent in their fight against crime, but ensure that they displayed even-handedness in dealing with people who breached the law, “irrespective of their sex, ethnic, religious background or party colours.”
Mr Baba has given an assurance that the security agencies would step up their operations and live up to their responsibilities of ensuring law and order to make the metropolis more attractive to visitors and investors.
In a related development, statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the region indicates that defilement cases have increased by 100 per cent from eight in 2007 to 18 last year. Rape cases have, however, reduced from nine in 2007 to eight last year. There was no breakdown of the figures for Tamale.
According to the police, most victims feel reluctant to report such cases, including rape, to the appropriate authorities for redress.
The victims normally want to avoid the embarrassment that is associated with the experience, coupled with ignorance and pressure from family members, the police further stated.