Citizens' expectations from the police in the 2024 elections in Ghana: A call for peaceful and transparent policing

As Ghana prepares for the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, citizens have high expectations from the police to ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process, particularly in a country where ethnic and cultural differences are increasing and political tensions between parties have become doubtful.

In such an environment citizens expect the police to act with unquestionable fairness towards all citizens or groups to prevent hostility and promote democratic policing principles. They also expect the police to prevent political violence and ensure that the use of political party organisations, the unregulated media, and police misconducts are ‘nip in the bud’ as these groups and organisation's actions have the potential to ruin the elections with confusion, tension, and even violence.

As David Barley (see: Tankebe, 2023) puts it the quality of the police is an important measure of democratic governance. Thus, a country cannot claim to be democratic if the police arbitrarily arrest people, humiliate citizens, use excessive force or repression during encounters with citizens, suppress political processes, and disregard their legal mandate. When citizens lose faith in democracy, they become tolerant of military interventions.

Hence, the Ghana Police Service must make every effort to consolidate our democratic achievements and prioritise police preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

This is a clarion call, and the writer is happy to hear from the Inspector General of Police that the police are committed to putting their lives on the line to maintain public peace and exalt democratic values during the December 7 elections. The IGP reiterated this during an inaugural ceremony of a new modular brick police station in Kwahu Asakraka in the Eastern region.

Despite this assurance, the writer is of the view that this expectation will come to reality only if police understand the nitty-gritty of their profession and strictly adhere to democratic policing principles: the importance of their commitment to the rule of law, policing ethics and human rights standards, the essential nature of police accountability to the law and to the society they serve, as well as the need for their cooperation with the citizens, recognising that effective policing requires partnership with the citizens being served.

Finally, a survey of citizens' expectations conducted in some communities in the Eastern region in 2023 reveals a strong desire for peaceful elections, youth empowerment, community engagement, conflict resolution, and a transparent electoral process. Citizens expect the police to prioritise de-escalation methods, community policing, and civic education to prevent electoral violence and promote democratic values.

They further expect the police to address corruption, brutality, and bias and to ensure accountability and justice for all Ghanaians. However, meeting these expectations will require a commitment to community-oriented policing, transparency and accountability, and will be crucial in ensuring the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process.