The Homicide Unit is one of the Operational units at the CID-Headquarters. It was established in the year 1992 by the then commissioner of Police, G. S. Aggor. The first Commander of the Unit was Chief Superintendent Apraku [RTD]. The Unit was carved out from the Flying Squad. Thee longest serving officer at the Homicide was Superintendent Mr. Yaw Adu [RTD].  He served the Unit from 1994 to 2002. The current strength of the unit is twenty-two [22]. Two Senior Police Officers, Four Inspectors, Three sergeants, two Corporals, six Lance Corporals and three Constables.

Functions of the Unit

When a human being dies as a result of the act of another person, the person who committed the act is said to have committed a homicide.  Homicide is therefore the killing of one or more human beings by another person or a group of persons. A person who kills another person is himself known as homicide. The unit investigates all murders, threat off deaths, causing harm, kidnapping and any related cases that are referred by the Director-General/CID. Homicide is categorized under two heading namely; natural and unnatural.

Natural

Suicide

Death resulting from Hypertension, Diabetes, Sudden heart Failure, Mental Disorders, or any other related sickness that  has been diagnosed by competent Medical Officer which was  being managed.

Unnatural

• Murder
• Attempted Murder
• Manslaughter
• Poisoning
• Infanticide
• Genocide
• Mass murder
• Threat of Death
• Causing Harm
• Kidnapping
• Threat of Harm

Homicide Unit works in tandem with the Attorney General’s Department. In commencement of murder investigations, Section 46 of the Criminal Offence Acts 1960, should be thorough looked into. No single individual can handle murder issues without the co-operation of others. At Homicide Unit, an investigator is assisted by a co-investigator. Other assistance are received from the District Coroner, an official from Attorney General’s Department and a Pathologist.

Statistics

Statistics from January 2013 to date reads as follows:

 Murder – 11

 Attempted Murder – 2

 Causing Harm – 2

 Kidnapping – 3

 Threat of Death – 16

 Total – 34

Advice

All Homicide related cased should be reported to police.

Homicide scenes should not be distributed or tampered with but secured.