Speaking out: Officers speaking about police misconduct in Ghana

Historically, police administrators have argued that misconduct occurs among a few bad officers, undermining the notion that deviant acts transcend individual characteristics of officers to incorporate the characteristics of the department. The purpose of this study was to explore the state of police integrity within the Ghana Police Service by qualitatively analysing interview responses obtained from a select group of police officers in two police districts. Findings revealed that police misconduct in Ghana exists in different dimensions, and that officers are willing to engage in open discussions about deviant acts by their colleagues. Policy implication of the findings are discussed.