Take personal safety seriously – IGP advises Ghanaians

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr David Asante-Apeatu, has called on Ghanaians to take issues of personal safety and security seriously.

He said taking precautionary measures for one’s safety and that of his or her family was key to dealing with crime and the preservation of lives and properties.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic on the strategic decision of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to educate and inform Ghanaians on safety and security issues for July 2019, Mr Asante-Apeatu said the decision could not have come at a better time, given the threat to individual and communal security, not only in Ghana but the entire sub-region.

Media role

He said many people, including media organisations, were not even aware of their role in ensuring law and order, as well as in the security system.

He said the Ghana Police Service would avail itself to support the GCGL programme through the dissemination of information and answering questions that related to the subject matter.

Mr Asante-Apeatu said media organisations should not be interested only in the arrest and prosecution of criminals but also take issues of security and safety seriously.

That, he explained, involved not just informing and educating the populace but also assessing the security systems to ensure that things worked the right way for the good of the country.

The IGP said he was hopeful that Ghanaians would take the subject matter seriously.

He also advised other security service providers, including technology firms, to support the GCGL in that endeavour.

He pointed out that private security organisations had a major role to play in this initiative by partnering state security agencies and the GCGL to ensure that Ghanaians benefited from all aspects of safety and security issues.

“The public should say something when they see something,” he said.

Understanding security and safety

During this July, the GCGL flagship, the Daily Graphic, and other publications will be looking at various aspects of security and safety.

With the support of security experts and the Ghana Police Service, a series of stories, analytical and other articles, including security tips, will be published.

Members of the public and corporate organisations will also be engaged for their perspectives on various aspects of security and safety.