Otumfuo Calls for Stronger Police–Traditional Authority Partnership to Boost Community Security

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for enhanced collaboration between traditional authorities and the Ghana Police Service, proposing that chiefs be formally integrated as partners in community policing efforts.

He made the appeal during a landmark courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. According to the Asantehene, closer and institutionalised cooperation between the police and traditional leaders is essential for strengthening public safety and building trust within communities.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also urged the Ghana Police Service to ensure that officers are adequately trained in the customs and traditions of the communities they serve, emphasizing that cultural understanding can significantly improve communication, mediation, and conflict resolution.

“I have come to encourage deeper, institutionalised collaboration between traditional authorities and the Ghana Police Service. Chiefs should be recognised as allies in community policing, and officers should be trained to appreciate the customs of the people they protect. Dialogue should come before deployment, and mediation before confrontation. This is not a sign of weakness, but of intelligence,” he stated.