The Ghana Police Service is the main law enforcement agency of Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

. The service is under the control of the Ghanaian Ministry of the Interior

Ministry of Interior (Ghana)

The Ministry of the Interior is a ministry of the government of Ghana mandated to ensure internal security, as well as the maintenance of law and order in the country...

.

Functions

The service was established to perform the following functions:

1. the detection of crime;
2. the apprehension of offenders;
3. the maintenance of law and order
   Law and order (politics)
   In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
   
   ;
4. the maintenance of internal peace and security.

In order to perform these functions, it is the stated mission of the police to:

1. ensure the operational readiness;
2. make available of trained police personnel for deployment at all times throughout the country.

Head of the service

The head of the Ghana Police Service is Inspector-General of Police

Inspector-General of Police

An inspector-general of police is a high-ranking police officer.-Ghana:In Ghana, inspector general of police is the title of the head of the Ghana Police Service.-India:...

 (IGP) Paul Tawiah Quaye.

Organisational structure

The Ghana Police Service operates in twelve divisions: ten covering the ten regions of Ghana, one assigned specifically to the seaport and industrial hub of Tema

Tema

Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...

, and the twelfth being the Railways, Port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

s and Harbour

Harbor

A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...

s Division.
A new division, the Marine Police Unit, has also been created to handle issues that arise from the country's offshore oil and gas

Oil and gas

Oil and gas are two commonly associated fossil fuels. The phrase may refer to:*Oil and gas field*Oil and gas law in the United States-See also:* Gasoline* Heating oil* Hydrocarbon exploration* Natural gas* Petroleum industry* Petroleum...

 industry.

For each of the regional police divisions, there is a Regional Commander who is in charge of all operational and administrative functions under his jurisdiction. In direct operational matters, the Regional Commander furthermore works in tandem with the Regional Operational Commander. For administrative functions, the Regional Commander is assisted by the Deputy Regional Commander and the Regional Crime Officer. The Deputy Inspector-General of Police assisted by the Director-General of the Police Administration and supervises the activities of the regional commanders of police.

Regional divisions

Apart from the National Police Headquarters, all the regional divisions have subdivisions under them. The aim of this is to decentralize the activities of the regional police force for more effective and flexible policing. Each regional command is divided into divisional commands. The various divisional commands are headed by Divisional Commanders, who are in charge of the district commands under them. The individual district commands are, in turn, headed by District Commanders. The District Commanders have direct control and supervisory responsibilities over all police station

Police station

A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...

s and posts under their jurisdiction.

The twelve regional divisions exercise oversight responsibilities over 51 divisions, which have 179 district divisions under them. The districts have jurisdiction over a national total of 651 police stations.

Special units

There are, furthermore, specialized police units in all the regional divisions. The Regional Commander has oversight over these units. These units include:

1. Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU)
2. Highway Patrol
   Highway patrol
   A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
   
    Unit
3. Public Affairs
   Public affairs
   Public affairs may refer to:* Public administration* Public affairs * Public affairs * PublicAffairs, a USA publishing company* Public Affairs , a Czech political party...
   
    Directorate
4. Courts and Prosecution
5. Domestic Violence
   Domestic violence
   Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
   
    and Victim Support (DOVVSU)
6. Rapid Deployment Force (RDF)
7. Mobile Force
8. Arms and Ammunition
   Ammunition
   Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
   
   
9. Finance
   Finance
   "Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
   
    Offices
10. Audit Offices
11. Crime Offices

Marine Police Unit

In April

April

April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...

 2011, the Ghana Police Service set up a special Marine Police Unit (MPU). The unit has amongst its duties policing operations related to the country's oil and gas industry, and the handling of offenses contained in the Fisheries Act 2002 and Fisheries Regulations 2011.

See also

• Ministry of Interior (Ghana)
  Ministry of Interior (Ghana)
  The Ministry of the Interior is a ministry of the government of Ghana mandated to ensure internal security, as well as the maintenance of law and order in the country...
  
  
• Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service
  Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service
  The Inspector General of Police is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police...