The Interior Minister, Douglas Prosper Bani, has tasked police personnel to uphold professionalism in the line of duty to ensure crime is reduced to the barest minimum.

He says officers should not give room for miscreants to destabilize the peace and safety of residents.

Mr Bani was addressing district and divisional police commanders in the Ashanti Region.

The Minister is on a two-day working visit to the Region to assess the security situation and ascertain the level of readiness of the security agencies to uphold the peace ahead of the electioneering period.

Mr Bani expressed worry about the increasing trend of human trafficking in the country and entreated the anti-human traffic unit to live up to expectation.

“There has been an increase in human trafficking in recent times. The Ghana Police Service and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit should begin to live up to expectation by not only arresting culprits but ensuring that these networks of human trafficking groups are destroyed.”

The Interior Minister hinted that an inter-ministerial committee from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Gender ,Children and Social Protection has been set up to focus on how to tackle human-trafficking issue.

The Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor, who accompanied the Minister, advised police personnel not to be partisan but fair in the discharge of their duties.

“You should all be very professional and impartial in your operation especially on issues that has to do with the December Polls. You should also not be partisan in the discharge of your duty.”

The Ashanti Regional Deputy Police Commander, ACP Ampofo Duku, said inadequate personnel and vehicles are among challenges faced in some districts, which affect effective policing.

ACP Duku however said the police command is not relenting to fight crime.

The Interior Minister and the Inspector General of Police paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Region Minister, John Alexander Ackon, for a brief on the state of security in the Region.

Mr Bani and John Kudalor also toured some on-going project sites for accommodation of police personnel at Suame division and Oforikrom police station.

Earlier, the Interior minister and the Inspector General of Police inspected a guard of honour at the Ashanti Region Police Command Headquarters.

By Ibrahim Abubakar|3news.com|Ghana

Twitter: @3Newsgh