A Security Analyst, Emmanuel Bombande has described the swoop on hideouts of suspected criminals in various parts of Accra, by the Police, as a knee-jerk reaction to the growing insecurity in the country.

The Accra Regional Police Command carried out a swoop over the weekend, leading to the arrest of 215 suspects. This followed the recent surge in violent crimes in Accra, including the bullion van attack near James Town, which led to the killing of a Police Officer and a bystander on Monday, June 14.

According to the Police, the three-day operation took place at Korle Bu, Tesano, Amasaman, Nima, Dansoman, Abokobi, Accra Central, Teshie, Madina, Batsona, Jamestown, Osu and Lakeside Estates, Ashaley Botwe.

But speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday, Mr Bombande observed that the Police undertook the swoop in reaction to the concerns raised by the citizenry over insecurity in the country.

"These actions of swooping in areas and arresting suspected criminals become a knee-jerk reaction that is supposed to communicate that we are trying to apprehend criminals," he said.

A practice, which according to him, yields little or no results.

“And so the screening is done, they [suspects] are released and nothing happens. The intelligence gathering does not zero in on who are truly the criminals. It becomes like fishing where you try to catch whatever you can and then throw away the elements you think are not relevant,” he told host Winston Amoah.

"Therefore, it is about time, the security agency reviews its methodology in clamping down on criminal activities in Ghana, " he suggested.

Dr Bombande, further suggested that the Police should carry out comprehensive intelligence gathering that will highlight the hitches in the security sector and act appropriately to resolve them.

“If they [the Police] are able to improve on their intelligence gathering they will stand a better chance of zeroing in on where exactly the problem is and where the challenges are,” he stated.