Despite increasing concerns about violent crimes and insecurity, President Akufo-Addo says reported crimes so far in 2021, are on the decline.

Speaking during a special congregation in his honour at the University of Cape Coast, the President said “a cursory glance at the statistics shows that on the contrary, crime cases, at least for the first quarter of 2021, are coming down as compared to the same quarter in 2020.”

President Akufo-Addo, however, acknowledged that there was still room for improvement and assured of more state support for the police.

“In as much as a marked reduction in levels of crime will be preferable, the government is determined to work with the police service to guarantee the security of persons and protect lives and property in accordance with the rule of law.

“That is why in addition to increase substantially, the numerical strength of the police service, the government has since 2017 procured some 735 additional vehicles including 15 operation busses, a feat unprecedented in the history of the service,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Comparison of 2020 and 2021 crime data

Though general crime statistics are on the decline marginally, murder cases have gone up in the first quarter of 2021.

According to the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, there were 144 murder cases recorded in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to 123 in the first quarter of 2020.

There was an improvement in reported kidnapping cases with 26 recorded in the first quarter of 2021 as against 27 in the first quarter of 2020.

For reported robbery cases, there was a drop from 525 to 495 cases, when comparing the first quarters of 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Reported rape cases reduced from 119 to 97 in the same period.