A Matter of Facts: Officers’ Belief Systems About Corruption in Ghana’s Police and Criminal Justice System

Police forces represent the outer face of criminal justice systems and the first point of contact for citizens. Corruption is often a major issue in police-citizen encounters, creating distrust and impeding the fair delivery of justice. Police leaders hardly admit to the presence and scope of corruption in their forces. However, lower ranks in the force might be keenly aware of corrupt exchanges and proceedings. This study explores Ghanaian police officers’ experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward corruption in their organization based on the conceptual framework of ‘belief systems’ (Converse 1964/2006). We examine officers’ perceptions of the frequency and seriousness of corrupt behaviors and expected reactions, how they perceive their peers’ assessments of misconduct, and what they see as causes of corruption. We surveyed police officers in three regions of Ghana, urban as well as rural. The questionnaire included a scenario study, which presented respondents with two common incidents of corruption in the police force differing in terms of seriousness and involvement of lower and higher ranks. Results of the study show a pattern that we describe as a ‘realistic perspective’ on corruption within a police force where corruption is widespread, particularly regarding control of and reactions to corruption. While police officers’ belief systems were mostly consistent across the two incidents, important differences were found for expected sanctions. Police officers expected more severe reactions for the less serious lower-level incident and related impunity for high-ranking officers to a general culture of corruption within the police. These patterns, as well as differences between higher and lower ranks in perceptions of corruption, signal a level of distrust in leadership and its guardianship. We conclude that control and prevention of corruption need to harvest the experiences and knowledge of rank-and-file officers.