Upper East REGSEC deploys drones and surveillance cameras to tackle rising violent crime
The move comes amid escalating insecurity, including tribal clashes, armed attacks, and nighttime criminal activities, which have severely disrupted livelihoods and development efforts in parts of the region.
The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has launched a cutting-edge surveillance initiative involving drones and cameras to curb violent crimes and conflicts in the region.
The initiative, backed by the government, was announced by the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, at the inauguration of the Security Resilience and Peace Building Centre in Nangodi, in the Nabdam District.
The move comes amid escalating insecurity, including tribal clashes, armed attacks, and nighttime criminal activities, which have severely disrupted livelihoods and development efforts in parts of the region.
The Regional Minister, who doubles as the REGSEC Chairman, said the new surveillance system is designed to provide real-time intelligence and monitoring capabilities in conflict-prone zones.
The system, he noted, will allow for the early detection of armed individuals and potential threats, enabling swift intervention by security forces.
“We’ve increased the number of drones and cameras in the region and will continue to expand coverage. For security reasons, I won’t provide exact figures, but the strategy is clear: anyone hiding and planning nocturnal activities will be detected. These high-resolution drones and strategically installed cameras will give us eyes where we previously had none,” Atanga stated.
The new surveillance rollout is a bold pivot in the region’s security strategy, moving from reactive policing to proactive crime prevention. Atanga believes the ability to collect and archive visual evidence will significantly improve criminal investigations and lead to higher prosecution rates to serve as a deterrent.
He, therefore, cautioned individuals and groups who incite violence or protect offenders, stating that there will be no safe haven for criminals in the Upper East Region.
“We are going to plant more cameras to ensure that anybody who plans in the dark to cause mayhem will be picked up. And that will make it easy for the courts to prosecute.
And I want to warn those people who are committing crimes that they should be careful. We are watching them, and if they are picked up, nobody should complain and nobody should assist in their release because they are picked up by the police for committing crimes.”
The Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Raymond Wejong Adofiem, praised the development and government support, highlighting the crucial role of the Security Resilience and Peace Building Training and Education Centre in building the region’s security capacity.
“The training is centered on building the capacity of our men to be able to respond professionally to any situation of violence.”
He said the centre will focus on continuous professional development for security personnel from all state security agencies, with an emphasis on community engagement, intelligence-led policing, and conflict resolution.
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