Understanding Police Use of Force and its Effect on Individuals Fundamental Rights in Ghana

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VI, June 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Understanding Police Use of Force and its Effect on Individuals Fundamental Rights in Ghana

Peter Twumhene

Department of Politics & International Relations, Nottingham Trent University– United Kingdom

Abstract:- This study aims at exploring and understanding the Ghana Police Service’s mode of operations with particular attention to the use of force and its effect on individuals’ fundamental rights.The Ghana Police Service (GPS) is mandated by article 200 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to enforce democratic policing principles. Act 200 (3) stipulates that the Service shall be equipped to perform its traditional role of maintaining law and order.The study critically examines the current procedures use by the GPS to minimize the use of force, determine whether police officers who use force or excessive force are held accountable and identify the challenges faced by the institution during an encounter. Therefore, the study adopted qualitative approach, using interviews, journal articles and local newspapers to widely understand both police and citizens perspective and lived experience of the issues surrounding police use of force. Purposive and snowballing technique were used to select participants and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Findings drawn from the study indicated a new insight into the phenomenon, bringing a lasting solution to minimize police use of force while contributing to the existing knowledge of literature to address the relative absence of data in this study area in Ghana.

Keywords:Ghana police service, police use of force, brutality, fundamental rights, democratic policing

I. INTRODUCTION

It has been widely assumed that the Ghana Police Service has been characterised by abuse of power and authority by its members and the circumstances in which police officers continue to use force or excessive force against the civilian population, seek to question the government and the institution’s respect for the rights ofits citizens (Tankebe, 2008). This study therefore underscores why in a democratic country like Ghana this phenomenon continues uncheckedas if this practice has been accepted as a norm within the institution. To many Ghanaians, democratic policing is primarily understood as a ‘service to the universal citizens’ based on a commitment to ‘human rights’ (Hinton & Newburn 2009: p. 167). Although considerable empirical findings (Tankebe, 2008; Palmiotto, 2017; Bayley 2001) have shown that police officers have authority to use force to control crimes in society, maintain law and order, and to apprehend suspects who pose as threat to them and other citizens in the course of exercising their legally mandated duties.

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