Structure of the Ghana Police Service, When and How To Contact Them
Established since 1894, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has been and is still the principal law enforcement and criminal justice agency of the Republic of Ghana. It is one of the government agencies under the Ministry of Interior.
Among the major functions of the GPS are the protection of life and property, prevention, detection and investigation of crime, arrest, detention, and prosecution of suspected criminals, and maintenance of public order.
It really feels good to note that the Ghana Police Service is currently listed as one of the best in Africa. They are, however, not satisfied with that as the Service is diligently working towards becoming the best in the world in few years to come.
Structure of the Ghana Police Service
The headquarters of the Ghana Police Service is located in Accra and headed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), currently David Asante-Apeatu (since February 2017). Following the IGP in the hierarchy are the Deputy Inspector-General and the Director General of Police who assist in supervising the operations of the entire Service across the nation.
With a staff strength of over 30,000, the GPS is carefully structured in a way that facilitates efficient delivery across the entire country. It is broadly made up of 12 regional divisions comprising the ten regions of Ghana, the Tema Seaport and Industrial region and the Railways & Ports region.
To promote the efficiency of its operations and delivery, the Ghana Police Service is further classified into 10 Departments in each of its Regional Divisions. These include:
Criminal Investigation Department [CID]
Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate [MTTD]
Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit [DOVVSU]
The Police College
Police Regional Training School
Works & Housing Department
Public Relations Department
Medical – Hospital
Marine Ports & Railways
Community Policing
The regions are further divided into 51 divisions, 179 Districts, and 651 stations. Every region, division, district and station boast tons of police officers in their various ranks who are assigned to specific duties and locations at every point in time.
Each of the 10 Regional Divisions is headed by a Regional Commander who oversees the affairs of all of the above special units as well as the divisions and stations under its jurisdiction. The Regional Commander also works with the Regional Operational Commander and the Deputy Regional Commander to carry out operational and administrative duties.
When and How To Contact The GPS
Based on the provisions of the constitution, the Ghana Police Service operates on democratic policing principles. The Service is therefore mandated to be open to complaints and reports for 24 hours of every day.
While it is generally advised to contact the police whenever there is a threat to life and/or property, here are some of the specific situations that call for the GPS to be alerted:
Burglary and robbery attack
Fire outbreak and auto crash
Mob attack and other forms of physical assault
Domestic violence and sexual abuse
Suicide attempt and medical emergency
Detection of suspicious activity or criminal hideout
Reporting of Missing or wanted persons
In emergency situations, call 191 (Toll-free for all Networks) or 18555 (Vodafone/MTN Toll-free). Make sure you know your location when calling in emergency situations as this is paramount or rather indispensable for a quick police rescue response. Also, endeavor to provide other necessary information required of you and follow given instructions religiously.
For other non-emergency reports or complaints, call +233 302 776672 or go to the police station nearest to your location.
In case there is need to contact the IGP or the GPS, you can do so via any of the following contact details:
The Inspector General of Police, Ghana Police Service, P.O. Box 116, Accra (+233 302 779300, 302 -773906, +233 302 777428)
