Ministry of Interior Announces Nationwide Christmas Security Plans to Protect Revelers
Photo credit- Ghana Police Service
Accra, Ghana- As Ghana ushers in the festive season, the Ministry of the Interior, working closely with the Ghana Police Service, has unveiled a nationwide Christmas security strategy covering 25 police regions to ensure safety, law and order before, during and after the festive season.
The comprehensive security framework was announced by the Deputy Minister for Interior Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi during a briefing to Parliament on Tuesday, November 19. He emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining peace, order, and public safety during one of the busiest periods of the year.
According to the Deputy Minister, the yuletide consistently attracts heightened commercial activity, heavy vehicular movement, and increased social gatherings, making proactive security planning essential.
He assured the House that the Ghana Police Service has already deployed enhanced patrols, visibility operations, and intelligence-led security measures across major cities, highways, markets, transport terminals, and entertainment hubs.
“The service has taken delivery of 40 multi-purpose armoured vehicles, which are being deployed to strategic violent crime hotspots across the country to enhance police response and deterrence. Increased barrier and checkpoint operations, including random stop and search operations. Furthermore, all police regional intelligence units have been directed to strengthen community informant networks, monitor emerging threats such as robberies, terrorism spillover and cyber-enabled crimes affecting mobile money and electronic transactions. Provide security for concerts, carnivals, church conventions, crossover services and open-air gatherings,” he added.
The plan also includes 24-hour patrols in high-risk communities, increased checkpoints on highways to curb armed robbery and drunk driving, traffic management teams in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and other urban centres, rapid response units on standby for emergencies, special monitoring of nightlife districts and Close collaboration with local assemblies and private security agencies. “To address congestion and reduce accidents, the deputy minister stated that the police MTTD has deployed personnel along all major highways and urban traffic checkpoints to enforce speed limits, drink driving regulations and roadworthiness checks. The police are expected to conduct point operations with DVLA, National Road Safety Authority, to minimize crashes and fatalities. All regional commands have intensified community policing, radio and TV awareness campaigns, public education on personnel safety, cyber safety and property protection, monitoring of social media platforms for security-related intelligence,” the deputy minister assured.
The Deputy Minister urged Ghanaians to cooperate with the police, stating that collective responsibility is key to ensuring a peaceful festive period. “Let us all work together, citizens, police, and community stakeholders, to make this Christmas incident-free,” he added.
According to him, these nationwide measures are expected to reduce robberies, assaults and thefts, manage congestion and traffic crashes, ensure secure movement of people and goods, provide safe environments for Christmas activities, and then guarantee a peaceful, safe and enjoyable festive season for all residents of Ghana.
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