Prevalence Of Crime In Ghana: The Cause Of Unemployment Or Inefficiency In Policing?

Undoubtedly, Ghana as nation is bedeviled with numerous of worrisome challenges and notable among them are insecurity, poverty and unemployment. Recently, there have been recurrences of crime to the extent that Ghanaians now live in fear in their own country. The recent daylight robbery at North Industrial Area and the Odorkor incident where some criminals alleged to be members of the Isis who were with grenades were arrested is a clear case to substantiate this claim.

Arguably, Ghana’s police have been phenomenal in its task and its professionalism in executing its mandate is highly commendable. Nonetheless, crime rate in the country continues to have momentum in the face of the indefatigable service being rendered by the Police. Be that as it may, unemployment is one of the excruciating cankers that our dear nation is yet to unravel. Per statistics, about 11.2% (relative to Labour force) of Ghanaian youths between the ages of just 15-24 are jobless and as a person I believe for sure that, this is not safe for us as a nation.

Explicitly, as the youth bulge theory contends, a country, where its youth consist of more than 20% of the total population and faces a high unemployment rate is prone to social unrest and violence in the sense that, these disaffected youth will seek social and economic advancement through other alternative extralegal means. Taking it in the words of Michelle Gavin, if you have no other option and not much else going on, the opportunity cost of joining and armed movement may be low. With this been said, it is of no surprise then as to why crime has been pervasive in our motherland.

Therefore, I believe, it’s about time government, as a matter of urgency, work towards massive Job creation and should endeavor to undertake proper economic planning which will foster businesses to soar and in turn boost employment rate.

Imperatively, by constitution, the provision of security of life and property is enthused on the police and as such, it is expedient the police rise up to task. Yes, Ghana’s police somehow have been phenomenal with regards to its mandates; there are still a lot to be done. They should improve themselves in as much as modern policing is concern. Government must well equip personnel of the service with modern accoutrements and address the dearth of modern policing technology. Any scintilla of relaxation as in when crimes dwindles or seem to have been mitigated should be eschewed by the police.

Just as a lot is demanded on government and the police service in the quest of dousing this menace, we as individuals also ought to adopt security mechanism necessary to safeguard our lives and that of our families and should as well provide the security services with the needed assistance whatsoever to combat this disturbing conduct.

It is worthy of note that, crime is inevitable in as much as we continue to live in this world where greedy is saturated in our hearts, equality being impossible and marginalization continues to blossom. But I believe with a concerted effort by the government, the Police, and we the individuals, this devastating conduct undertaken by few of the population could be mitigated if not to bring it into extinction. May our motherland flourish!