The relationship between Ghanaian citizens and officers of its police service is a tenuous one. Recent reports by the research network Afrobarometer show a decline in trust between citizens and officers amid complaints of harassment and bribery. There have also been accusations of the police being used by the political hierarchy to stifle dissent by force during protests. The Conversation’s Godfred Akoto Boafo speaks to criminologist Justice Tankebe about the reasons behind the breakdown in trust and ways to improve it.
Do Ghana’s police serve the interests of citizens?
We can think of these interests in terms of people’s expectations of policing. My research has identified four dimensions of these interests.
