Mr. Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, a Security Expert, has cautioned students against violence and crimes.
He explained that students were not immune from Ghana’s laws.
Also, the 1992 Constitution and other laws were applicable to all persons unless it was explicitly stated otherwise.
Mr. Acheampong, who is also a Law Enforcement Officer, indicated that intentionally and unlawfully causing damage to another person’s property, stealing, and causing harm, among others were criminal offences, whether committed by students or on higher education campuses.
The Security Expert told the Ghana News Agency that the violent and destructive behaviour of students of the universities, Senior High Schools, technical, vocational, and other places of higher education was criminal and punishable by law.
Mr. Acheampong said the jurisdiction of law enforcement officers were not limited by space, community, or group of persons regarding students and higher learning environments.
He stressed that students committing various crimes on campuses, ranging from dealing in narcotic drugs, internet intrusions, fraud, stealing, causing unlawful damage, causing harm, assaults, sexual offenses, and others must be arrested, investigated, prosecuted, and punished.
He said the recurring and repetitive conducts of violent and destructive acts of students might be because such persons were not made to answer for their crimes.
Mr. Acheampong said when students were not punished for their criminal acts, it allowed other students to engage in similar crimes.
The Law Enforcement Officer emphasized that regulations and punishments were what build decent, and disciplined societies.
He said punishment helped in corrections and as a deterrent to build the individual.
“The Broken Window Theory states that we can deal with major crimes when we pay attention to minor infractions to the law,” he said.
Mr. Acheampong noted that people’s inclination to criminal conduct developed when it was not dealt with immediately.
“If students can agree together among themselves for any violent, destructive or criminal behaviour, it suggests that such persons after school are capable of committing any major crime against the State,” he said.
The Security Expert however cited Section 26 of the Criminal Offences Act which indemnifies children under 12 years from crimes.
