Upper West Regional Police Commander Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kofi Danso Adei Acheampong has raised serious concerns about incessant interference in police work. He said the practice of influential people in society interfering with the work of the police and other law enforcement agencies is so common in the Upper West Region that it makes the work of the police very difficult and cumbersome. He was addressing the first security and fire safety training session organised for various regional security and transport organisations by Security Warehouse Limited in Wa. Mr Acheampong said the continued interference was rather helping criminals to perpetrate their ills. "Stop interfering in the work of the police because you are helping the criminals," he stressed. Making specific reference to an old practice that has crept into every facet of the lives of the people of the region, Mr Acheampong decalred that the days of "Tijaa bunyeni," to wit, "we are all one," must come to an end. He said because of that practice, the police are always inundated with influential people in society who parade their corridors with the aim of securing out the release of suspects. That, he said, makes it very difficult for the police to get witnesses to testify during prosecution. As of last year, Mr Acheampong explained, 1,434 cases had not been prosecuted due to the inability of the police to procure witnesses. He said that 87 of the cases were recorded in the year 2011 but that the figure increased to 145 in 2012. Out of these, Mr Acheampong said 112 cases were sent to court last year, leading to the convictions of 101 suspects who were fined GHc 22,248. He reminded residents that although the crime statistics in the region seemed very low, it was because many of the cases, especially crimes related to defilement and rape, were not reported. He therefore advised the people to take responsibility for their personal security while the police and the other security agencies do their best to complement that effort. "The police strength of 669 including 25 investigators to a total population of 668,101 was not good enough to protect lives and property throughout the region," he said. Ghana National Fire Service Regional Commander ACFO Kwaku Manu Afful, speaking on the causes of local fires, reported the total number of fires recorded in the region to have increased from 159 in 2011 to 195 last year. He advised the people there to stop burning bushes and to become conversant with issues of fire. Chief Executive Officer of Security Warehouse Limited Adam Bonaa urged Ghanaians to inculcate the habit of acquiring security gadgets to protect their offices, houses and cars.