The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has announced plans by the Ghana Police Service to gradually incorporate traditional culture, customs and local governance structures into its training and orientation programmes as part of efforts to strengthen community policing.

According to the IGP, the initiative is intended to help officers better understand the social and cultural contexts of the communities they serve, thereby improving trust, cooperation and effective law enforcement.

Mr Yohuno made the announcement during a historic visit by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the Police Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, January 6.

He described the visit as a timely reminder of the need to reconnect policing with Ghana’s indigenous traditions.

He noted that policing in Ghana has, for decades, been largely shaped by imported European models, which he said have sometimes limited meaningful engagement with local communities.

“Over time, we have relied excessively on imported European policing systems,” he observed, adding that the moment calls for a return to indigenous approaches that prioritise community participation.

The IGP explained that the integration of traditional values and systems into police training will equip officers to police with greater empathy, cultural awareness and legitimacy.

He said the Ghana Police Service is committed to steadily incorporating these elements into training, orientation and reorientation programmes to enhance community-based policing and strengthen national security.