Study of Accountability Mechanisms in the Ghana Police Service

Abstract

Police are very critical societal agents for the attainment, preservation and promotion of security in society. In order to maintain order and enforce the law in Ghana, the police have been constitutionally and legally endowed with enormous powers. While these powers aim at enhancing security and development in society, if they are not properly regulated, they may become a threat to democracy, development, and human rights. Hence, police accountability mechanisms are designed to ensure that police powers and resources are used responsively and responsibly for the common good. This study attempts to analyse police accountability in Ghana as perceived by the general public and the police themselves. Five hundred respondents in the Greater Accra Region participated in the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The general public and police officers responded to the questionnaire and their views on police accountability. The major finding of the study was that no significant differences existed between the perceptions of the general public and the police officers about police accountability in Ghana. The study also found that the institutional frameworks for enhancing police accountability are weak. Moreover the regulatory frameworks are not properly understood and adhered to by the police. To enhance police accountability in Ghana, there should be collective effort to improve the institutional regulatory frameworks both at macro and micro levels.