Crime in the City

Crime, especially theft, is so rampant in Ghana right now that it only took one day before we were also personally affected.  One of our suitcases was stolen right out of the van during a brief stop at a popular bus stop between Accra and Kumasi.  We stopped to use the rest rooms and when Jessica closed the back door of the van after retrieving some diapers from one of the suitcases, she heard one security guard say to another security guard in Twi, “Broni, aden na wa ye sa?” (white person, why are you doing that?).  He wasn’t talking TO her but ABOUT her for the benefit of the other security guard, presuming she wouldn’t understand, so she went on her way and thought it was nothing more than another display of bad manners.  After arriving in Kumasi and unpacking we realized there was a suitcase missing and the only time it could have disappeared was when the van was left unattended (except by those “security” guards!) at the bus stop.  How quickly Satan began his attack on our productivity and joy!  The suitcase contained our new printer which we had hoped to use to print our newsletters to our supporters as well as a newsletter for the school here.  We have extra ink cartridges which were in another bag!  The suitcase also contained our files (taxes, banking, checkbook, immunization records, etc.) as well as an assortment of toiletries and books and clothes.  Ouch!  However, we rejoice that at the last minute in the airport the bag was a little overweight so Attah removed the most important folder with birth certificates and marriage certificate and put those in another bag - all was not lost! 

   Just a few days later we heard gun shots close by and shouts and running on the street.  The men were outside and while the ladies wanted them to hurry in and lock the doors, they hurried out farther to see what was going on and try to help if they could.  It was an armed robbery attack on a nearby student hostel.  One man was shot as the gang of robbers made their get-away.  The next day a gang of robbers raided the apartment building where a family in the Church lived.  They rattled the family’s doors at 3 am but thankfully moved on when the chains on the door held tight. 

Many homes and student hostels in our neighborhood have walled compounds topped with razor-sharp electric barbed wire to try to keep out robbers.

                         

                              
 A day later Attah was called to “come quick!” while in the middle of the school day.  He ran across the street where a mob had caught a thief and were beating him.  The community is so tired of these armed robbery raids that they began pouring their hatred upon this thief (accused of stealing someone’s cell phone) and men and women, young and old (one old lady almost toppled under the weight of the stone she hoisted to throw at him) were beating him, dragging him, and intent upon killing him on the spot.  Attah and his brother George and another man from the Church did their best to stop the mob until the police arrived to take him away.  He will probably pay the police a small bribe and never receive justice but death wouldn’t have been justice either and we hate to see someone’s life regarded as equally valuable as a cell phone.  

                

   The town council sent out a letter calling all households to an “Emergency Meeting” to decide what to do about the armed robbery in our neighborhood and now the plan is for security guards (paid for by a new security tax upon each household) to set up barriers and stop all traffic that seems suspicious at various points leading in and out of the area.  We hope they aren't the same sort of "security guards" who "guarded" our suitcase at the bus stop.....