Take inventory of small arms and light weapons in circulation – Government told

The Government of Ghana has been told to take stock of the Small Arms and Light Weapons that are currently in circulation in the country.

Dr Prosper Nii Nortey Addo, a Defence and Security analyst who made the call on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, June 19 said this will help in the fight against crimes in the country.

“We need to have an idea of how many small arms and light weapons are circulating in the system. The last time I checked, we were talking about one million or so but is that the real estimate? Because some are still being imported, others are being produced locally."

“An estimate of that gives us the ability to go ahead and begin to find ways of collecting these weapons from the system and also strengthen regulation around who owns arms and who produces it. All these enhance tracing,” he told host of the show Abena Tabi.

He was commenting on the killing of a police officer in a robbery attack on a bullion van in Jamestown, earlier this week.

Dr Nortey further asked the Ghana Police Service to invite the Military to assist in the fight against crimes in Ghana if they are overwhelmed.

He said the military have the ability to provide enormous support to the Police to tackle criminals in the country.

Although he admits that the involvement of the military is the last option, if the Police are unable to protect the lives of the people against criminals, then they have no option but to seek help from the military.

‘If the police is overwhelming they can invite the military to come in,” he said.

Dr Nortey also believed that the Police will be able to do a good job if the right people are recruited into the service, and also if they are well resourced.

“Let us not say the police are incompetent,” he said adding that they are well trained but they should be resourced to work.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Security Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr Ismael Norman has blamed the recent robbery cases in the country on joblessness and general unfairness in the country.

He said the increase in criminal activities has nothing to do with unresolved crimes.

This follows “the situation of unemployment in the country, general unfairness and inequities in the country,” he said.

He added “I don’t think unresolved crimes have anything to do with why we are having an upsurge in crime, the youth want to be happy, you to have jobs. The youth want to have a lifestyle that other people who are well situated are having. They don’t see that and so they are revolting.”