Professor Justice Tankebe, a criminology and criminal justice expert at the University of Cambridge, has raised concerns over the sharp decline in the conviction rate of police officers undergoing disciplinary proceedings under the administration of former Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

According to Prof Tankebe, the conviction rate dropped significantly from 17% in 2020 to just 7% in both 2021 and 2022.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, March 17, he emphasised the need for further scrutiny into the reasons behind this decline.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

The appointment of COP Yohuno is expected to bring a new direction to the Ghana Police Service, with heightened expectations for reforms in disciplinary procedures, police professionalism, and public trust in law enforcement.