The Ghana Police Service has identified over five thousand hot spots in the country ahead of the December 7 elections.
Director of Operations of the election taskforce of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Dr Benjamin Agbedzo, speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ on Friday said the police identified the flashpoints after careful study of the over 29000 polling stations which would be used for the elections.
The Police Superintendent said the election taskforce of the Police Service upon finalizing the number of hotspots decided to work on them and this has helped reduced the number.
He added that the police will dispatch two or more personnel to these hotspots.
“In the potential hotspots, there will be two or more personnel, we have also mobile personnel which would also be patrolling areas…there will also be rapid patrol that will respond…,” he said.
The election taskforce, he added also has a reserve team which includes Military men that would be unleashed when emergency situations arise.
These measures including meeting with opinion leaders and political figures in identified hotspots, he said have contributed significantly to the reduction of hotspots.
“The police have worked intensively on these hotspots and are interacting with them, I can tell you confidently that that number have been reduced because of the work we have done there in the past…,” he said.
Chief Superintendent Dr Benjamin Agbedzo said the police have also deployed several intelligence personnel throughout the entire country to gather the needed intelligence for the police.
“We are not saying that everything will be perfect….but what we can assure Ghanaians that we are ready and if there are people who are ready to ferment trouble, they should know that the police is also ready,” he said.
Go home after voting
The Police Superintendent also warned members of the public to stick to the rules governing the organization of elections which includes going home after voting.
“It is also wrong to use objects like stone and sticks to represent you in queues, it is wrong to bus people to come and vote and let me stress that people should go home after voting and come back after 5pm to come and observe the counting…,” he said.
He further cautioned voters to leave the polling station after casting their votes.
“It is not proper and lawful to continuously be at the polling station after voting because it may prevent others from coming to vote, we would force our rapid deployment to clear such people,” he said.
Chief Superintendent Dr Benjamin Agbedzo further cautioned body builders ‘machomen’ to also desist from undertaking various actions which would disrupt activities on the election day adding that the police would not hesitate in arresting any ‘machoman’ who tried to do anything criminal.
“We will not hesitate to chase, arrest and detain any machoman or group of machomen seen in a car going to a polling station to cause mayhem…they will be released only after the elections…,” he cautioned.
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