Dampare Legacy: What The Data Says About The Ghana Police Service He Left Behind

There has been a mixed appraisal of George Akuffo Dampare's legacy as the Inspector General of Police, but what does the data say about the Ghana Police Service he left behind?

President John Mahama’s decision to change the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was met with mixed reactions given the perception of goodwill towards the immediate past IGP, George Akuffo Dampare.

Dampare notably took advantage of several photo opportunities to craft an image as the people’s IGP. It was not uncommon for him to come down to the level of schoolchildren or direct traffic and make rounds.

However, Dampare also faced intense criticism for the role he played in suppressing notable protests and also the management of morale within the police service amid controversies over welfare and suppressed promotions.

COP Alex Mensah told the committee investigating a scandal in the police service that Dampare was the worst IGP in Ghana's history.

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Activists rejoiced at his removal, reminding of the police brutalities protesters suffered at the hands of police under his watch. Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, notably sued Dampare, citing human rights abuses in attempts to arrest him.

Even more bizarrely, police officers openly jubilated when Dampare was replaced by Christian Tetteh Yohuno.

Amid the divisive appraisal of the former IGP, YEN.com.gh looked at some key data points that speak to the police service he left behind.

Dampare: police reputation in the gutter

In 2022, after Dampare's first full year in office, Afrobarometer said the Ghana Police Service was fighting for its professional reputation. It had been routinely tagged in news reports as the most corrupt institution in Ghana.

According to data from Afrobarometer in 2022, more than four in 10 Ghanaians said they felt unsafe while walking in their neighbourhood (43%) and feared crime in their home (41%) at least once during the previous year.

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Among citizens who asked for help from the police, 50% said it was difficult to get the assistance they needed, and 45% said they had to pay a bribe. 36% of those who encountered the police in other situations said they had paid a bribe to avoid problems.

Around two-thirds of Ghanaians, 65%, said 'most or all police officials were corrupt, which was an eight percentage-point increase compared to 2019, which was 57%.

Less than three in 10 Ghanaians (28%) said they trusted the police 'somewhat' or 'a lot', a 12-percentage-point decrease from 2017 (40%).

A majority (54%) of citizens said the police 'often' or 'always' stopped drivers without good reason.

Many also complained that the police routinely engaged in criminal activities (39%) and used excessive force in dealing with criminals (40%) and protests (33%).

Only about one in five citizens (22%) said the police 'often' or 'always' operated professionally and respected all citizens’ rights.

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YEN.com.gh, speaking exclusively with Franklin Cudjoe, a Ghanaian author and social-political commentator, he shared his thoughts on what kind of Inspector General of Police Dampare was. According to him, Dampare was a man who thoroughly went by his duties by the book

"I have come to understand that he was removed because he is not a 'Yes Sir' officer. Whether his removal was good or bad, it is not for me to determine. But with his attitude to work, I would rather keep him than replace him because he will tell you the truth whenever you need to hear it," he said.

He further went on to talk about his case at the Supreme Court, stating the case was about principle. He stated that a lot of service commanders have been replaced every time there is a new administration. According to him, the removal must be justified.

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The Supreme Court case, you know, it wasn't really just about the position; it was more of the principle. The principle here is that we have a number of service commanders who are always removed anytime there's a new administration, without necessarily giving us any good reasons why. I think all we want is good reasons for the removal, and I think the constitution spells out clearly what ought to be done, he added.

Data on the police service Dampare left

Fast forward to 2025, at the time Dampare was leaving and not much has changed. There were some marginal improvements in perception, but for the most part, the police service was still failing on all fronts.

According to an Afrobarometer Survey in 2024, only 23% of Ghanaians felt the police always operated professionally. Additionally, only 17% of Ghanaians believe police officers never partake in crimes.

Similarly, only 17% of Ghanaians said the police never used excessive force while only 26% of Ghanaians felt the state had done enough to reduce crime.

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Only 28% of Ghanaians said they trusted the police. In the most recent survey, released on February 14, Afrobarometer noted that 63% of Ghanaians said 'most' or 'all' police officials are corrupt.

Source: YEN.com.gh