The Scares Of A Junior Ghanaian Police Officer And His / Her Job

Psychologists all over the world have tried to explain what fear really is. There have been varied definitions of fear all over but one thing that is very common is that every human being born by man and woman has some fears as well as animals. A simple Oxford Advance learner’s dictionary on my phone defines fear as an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger.

Wikipedia defines fear as a feeling induced by a perceived danger or threat that occurs in a certain types of organisms, which causes a change in metabolic and ultimately a change in behavior, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events. Psychologists have argued extensively that fear is a protective mechanisms employ by all living organisms when they anticipate danger or threat but the difference lies in how individuals overcome their fears. The truth however is that, those who overcame their fear rule this our very world.

In September 30 2011, research conducted by Caty Medrano and same published by Listverse mentioned the following as top 10 strong human fears:

1. Failure
2. Death
3. Rejection
4. Ridicule
5. Loneliness
6. Miseries
7. Disappointment
8. Pain
9. The unknown
10. Losing your freedom
I am very sure that if we are also to list our fears in order, we may fall within some of the above listed types of fears as human and police officers. We are humans with scares too despite trained.

Through observations, interviews and personal experiences as a junior police officer, I tried to find out some fears as to what my colleague junior police officers think will let them lose their jobs easily as far the general public is concern. Some 715 junior police officers were interviewed at various duty points I found myself including barriers and checkpoints, charge offices, courts, operational grounds. I did some of my interviews in travelling vehicles and wherever I met my colleague officers. The following group of people or professionals top my list after 4 years:

1. Fear of politicians and government officials is number one on my list.

Greater number of my respondents believe that politicians or government officials can determine their place in the police service. They believe politicians especially those in power can cause their dismissal, transfer and some cases their detention.

They believe that their superiors listen to politicians or government officials more than them so for a police officer to last on his job, he must avoid confrontations with politicians and government officials. Many police officers who stood in the ways of politicians or government officials endured some constant victimizations. Politicians in oppositions will quickly make open pronouncements that the police are being used by the government to intimidate the opposition members and promise to deal with the police if his or her government comes to power. Some of them truly take their revenge if their party comes to power. 145 of the police officers I interviewed believed this.

2. Fear of senior police officers places second on my list.

Many junior police officers I interviewed believe that their senior officers have capacity to determine their stay in the police whether the senior officer is right or wrong. Just say yes sir to your senior officer to save your job after all yes sir master does not spoil work. Having confrontations with your senior officers even if you are right is a first step to dismissal, avoid it. Always be the fool type and last on the job. Some 129 believe this is true.

3. Fear of journalists/Tv or Radio presenters comes third.

Many police officers believe that journalists or Tv and Radio presenters can put them in controversies which can lead to them losing their jobs. They believe that journalists or Tv and Radio presenters can create sensations in the general public which will put them in public domain. They also believe that journalists or T v and Radio presenters have the power to demonise them no matter how angelic a police officer may be. You can become a toast of their morning shows even if you are executing your duties rightly. They are the first to cry abuse of human rights and freedom even when they are wrong. Some 105 junior police officers affirmed this.

4. Lawyers.
Another class of professionals police officers believe that can be thorns in their flesh. They are fourth on my list.They call themselves learned colleagues. Police officers particularly police investigators believe that handling cases which the accuse person is being represented by a lawyer is a headache. Lawyers can walk to any District, Division, Region or even National police headquarters to report a police officer. Another group of professionals junior police officer think their superiors believe more than them the officers. Lawyers also feel they know the law more than the police officer who is enforcing it so there is always a fracas between the two. They always try to confuse the police with big legal terms and if they fail, they will walk to all the offices to report the police officer who did not yield to them. Some 89 junior police officers affirmed this.

5. Judges.
Right behind the lawyers are judges. They are one of the most power wielding professionals in Ghana. They are not mostly seen in public but if you meet one, then you have to be very careful as a police officer. They believe that they are the law itself. They will give you their address and particulars and tell you if you think they have offended the law, bring summons to their court to arrest them. If you try to insist, your superiors will call you to order one time. Some 88 police officers responded positively to this.

6. Business men and women.
Yes I mean the tycoons or money bags are the next after the judges. They break all protocols. Some of them initially try to negotiate if they realise that they have offended. They are quick to chant "chop make I chop some", "one man no chop" or "everybody dey chop for him job inside" slogans. If you refuse, they will bypass you to your boss and if your boss agrees, they will come back to you and tell you, they have never seen a foolish police officer like you and drive away as you watch the back of their cars. The women among them are so disrespectful and annoying. If you stand on their way, they will clear you. They have numbers of almost all the prominent people in this country. Some 63 junior police officer confirmed this

7. Lecturers.
Next after business men and women comes lecturers. Lecturers have numbers of all their past students whom most of them are senior police officers, politicians, journalist and what have you. Some of them are friends to top senior police officer and the least confrontation with a lecturer will only lead to a lecturer pulling his phone from his pocket to dial a number and in the next minute, there is an order from above ordering you to leave him or her alone. You only have to say yes sir to save your job. Lecturers also feel they are repository of knowledge so they always want to school police officers though they have never been to police training schools. Some 51 junior officers responded positively to this.

8. Chiefs and opinion leaders come after lecturers.

Chiefs and opinion leaders are another groups of untouchables. In traditional settings, they are the eye of their subjects. Touch a Chief or an opinion leader and see. The next day he will put on his kente cloth or smog with polished traditional sandals and golden chains around the neck and rings around the fingers to your commander or any high office to report you. He always comes with the Okyeame holding his royal staff which symbolizes his power and authority.

They always come with nicely package gifts as a sign of appreciation for your superiors to deal with you. The first to come to charge office to seek for bail and if you refuse, they will bypass you to next office only for you to be called to that office to meet them comfortably sitting down there chatting nicely with your commander. Some police officers believe that they have power to transfer you if they feel they cannot control you the police officer. They are very manipulative. Some 45 junior police officers affirmed this.

Above are eight group of people or professionals many junior police officers fear that they are threats to them in execution of their duties. For a period of 4 years at barriers, police stations, courts and other places where police duties sent me, I try to know why these group of people seem to be a thorn in the flesh of many junior police officers. I realized that levels of education really matters. Apart from Chiefs and opinion leaders who some of them have relative low levels of education, all of the remaining group of professionals are people who are likely to be masters, degree or a minimum of diploma holders. I also realized that even police officers who have a minimum qualification of WASCE or SSCE have some level of confidence to match these professionals whilst those with BECE and non-lettered police officers find it very difficult to deal with above mentioned group of people or professionals.

An efficient police officer is the one who makes time to read about the challenges of his job and not the one with physical muscles like commando holding a bazooka gun with an empty thinking cap on a human body. Reading will increase your confidence level which will go a long way to make you bold to withstand the whims and caprices of the group of people discuss above and that is efficiency in policing.

What happens if the police officer fears that he will lose his job ? Law is definitely applied and enforced selectively.

Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III
(Daniel Kwofie)/Peki/Vr
[email protected]
#Ahantadiaries2016