Two unrelated stories trending on social media about policing, both positive and negative, are the focus of this week’s article.
As by convention, yours truly deems it proper to begin with the positive story.
On September 22, 2025, the Fix the Country Movement and the Democracy Hub staged a demonstration on the High Street of Accra under the banner of #Stop Galamsey Now.
What was positive and very significant was the way and manner the police administration supervised the protest; the conduct of the police in the policing of the march stands in sharp contrast to their aggressive and brutal suppression of a similar protest march under the same banner # Stop Galamsey Now that took place last year.
This year’s protest was in commemoration of last year’s version and was organised on the same date: September 22.
The theme of the demonstration in both protest marches was to register anger against the serious environmental effects of the illegal mining activities on the well-being of the country.
What set them apart was the professionalism or otherwise of the Ghana police before, during and after the march.
While last year’s march was a pathetic and sorry manifestation of excessive policing involving violent, brutal, oppressive and aggressive behaviour, this year’s protest was policed in a highly commendable and professional manner.
Last year, protestors were beaten, manhandled, arrested and kept in police custody for exercising their constitutional rights of freedom of expression and assembly.
What’s more, they were kept in police custody for over 2 weeks when the courts refused them bail on arraignment.
That chapter of their incarceration and subsequent refusal of bail, for what were mainly misdemeanour offences, was at once unfair, illegal and unjustifiable.
Juxtaposing the two demonstrations, separated only by a year, brings to the fore the stark differences in approach to public protests under the current administration as opposed to that of the previous one.
As a perennial defender of human rights and the fair administration of the criminal justice system, it is indeed obligatory for me to commend the police for their very good work.
This excellent display of professionalism, mirroring globally accepted democratic credentials, is worthy of praise and commendation as it portrays the democratic values of Ghana within the global democratic index. Kudos to the Inspector General of Police.
Now to the negative story, the flip side of an otherwise good policing story.
Disturbing news emanating from Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region reveals the dark side of policing, if the various anecdotes trending on social media are anything to go by.
It’s been reported that the suspect of unlawful entry and stealing, one Bright Kena, popularly known as D-ball, has died after receiving a massive beating while in police custody.
My knowledge of the incident is sketchy and stands to be corrected if my sources are unreliable, but it seems that D-ball was at the unfortunate end of a brutal police beating in custody and died when he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The youths of the town vandalised the police station violently and unjustifiably to express their anger, culminating in the evacuation of officers and closure of the police station.
Much as we condemn in no uncertain terms the violent nature of the attacks on the police station and personnel, video footage is being studied for possible prosecution of the perpetrators.
We reiterate the urgent need for police reforms, i.e. the video and audio recording of the questioning and treatment of suspects at the police station.
If the interrogation of D-ball had been recorded, it would have greatly assisted the police administration in the ongoing investigations into the circumstances of his untimely and regrettable death.
The rights of suspects during questioning at police stations have been a problem for a considerable time, and should be solved once and for all.
There have been countless incidents where suspects have become victims of excessive police treatment while in custody, some with fatal consequences.
In the past, agitation for the recording of police interrogations has been rebuffed with the usual ‘lack of money’ argument.
However, the argument is no longer sustainable given the vital importance of police accountability in a democratic set-up.
At the very least, with the advent of smartphones, an effective improvisation would be the deployment of smartphones to record such interviews.
With the successful registration of our non-governmental organisation (NGO), Law and Human Rights in Action, the push for legislation to cover police questioning will no doubt intensify.
