Professor Justice Tankebe, a criminology and criminal justice expert from the University of Cambridge, has expressed concern over the sharp drop in the conviction rate of police officers facing disciplinary action under former Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

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Prof. Tankebe noted that the conviction rate fell from 17% in 2020 to just 7% in both 2021 and 2022.

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Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, March 17, he called for a closer look into the reasons behind this decline.

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“Another area that we have to consider is police professionalism, but it is difficult to get the data. But one data we can consider will be complaints against police officers, and that becomes interesting.

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“You will expect that those who have issues with the police will file complaints, and we can see what proportion of those complaints are upheld and how many officers are convicted when they undergo disciplinary proceedings.

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“But unfortunately, the data that we have shows that in 2020, the proportion of officers who were convicted after disciplinary hearings was 17%, and that dropped to 7% in 2021 and 2022. So, there is an interesting discussion to be had as to why the sharp drop.”

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COP Yohuno's appointment is expected to bring fresh changes to the Ghana Police Service. Many anticipate improvements in disciplinary processes, police professionalism, and public confidence in law enforcement.

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