The Central East Regional Police Command says it recorded almost three thousand cases of land-related disputes between January and August this year. Of the number, 202 cases have been sent to court while the rest are still under investigation.
The Regional Commander, DCOP David Eklu, who announced this during an interaction with the media, attributed the situation to the high interest in land acquisition and development of property which had earned Kasoa the tag of being a hub for land guard activities.
He said some of the feuding parties have opted to settle their differences through alternative dispute resolution.
The police Command is also taking steps to develop a database to track the trend of land disputes in the region to help peaceful and speedy resolution of such cases.
DCOP Eklu said in spite of the high numbers, the violent and criminal activities associated with land guard activities had dipped considerably.
The police he noted had waged war on the activities of such thugs which had made it dangerous for them to continue in the path of violence and unjustifiable extortions from land owners.
He added that to avoid having troubles with the police, the land guards had now assumed the title ‘Asafoatse’ to carry out their nefarious activities including the demand for ‘digging fees’ from developers, failure for which they would resort to assault.
The Police Command has therefore issued a directive for the arrest of persons who engaged in seizing people’s tools without authority, adding that some people had been arrested and charged with stealing.
DCOP Eklu revealed that general crime such as theft, robberies and mobile phone snatching in Kasoa had reduced through enhanced motorbike patrols, foot patrols and community engagements.
He urged residents and all relevant institutions to continue to support the police to carry out their duties effectively.