Dear Ghana Police Service, the comments under your Facebook post regarding the Nkwanta disturbance (Ref: PAD/PRESS/VOL.4/1/136) signal a growing public concern with your rebranding agenda. While rebranding is essential for any institution, the approach being taken by the Ghana Police Service appears to lean heavily on controlling information to project a polished image. This strategy, however, comes with significant dangers that cannot be overlooked.
A rebranding effort that prioritizes managing narratives over addressing core operational challenges risks alienating the very public whose trust you seek to earn. For instance, the idea that incidents like those in Nkwanta require communication to be centralized at the Headquarters rather than addressed transparently by local commanders erodes public confidence. People are beginning to see through attempts to present an idealized version of the service when realities on the ground often tell a different story.
It is critical to understand that genuine rebranding is not about content creation or media production; it is about delivering tangible improvements in your core mandate of ensuring public safety and security. Resources spent on initiatives like Police TV might be better allocated to equipping officers with the tools they need to fight crime effectively. What is the value of producing glossy media content if divisional commands lack essential equipment like riot control water cannons to handle disturbances or modern tools to combat crime at the district level?
The same concern extends to other state services, such as the Ghana Fire Service, which appears to be following this media-driven trend. When firefighters are struggling with outdated equipment, no amount of media content can substitute for the inability to respond effectively to fires, as seen in recent incidents across the country.
Rebranding should be about prioritization and addressing the fundamental needs of the service. Instead of competing with the state broadcaster in content production, it would be more impactful to focus on resourcing officers on the frontlines, strengthening operational capacity, and rebuilding public trust through transparency and accountability.
Ghanaians need a Police Service that delivers real solutions, not just polished narratives. Failure to realign priorities now risks further eroding public confidence and undermining the noble efforts of the many hardworking officers in your ranks.
Ghana l Atinka online.com l Ebenezer Madugu
