Counselling needs of police officers in the sekondi-takoradi metropolis, ghana

Abstract

The study assessed the counselling needs of police officers in the Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of 278 were selected through stratified random sampling from a population of 969 police officers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. Data were analysed using frequencies, means, t-test and ANOVA. The study revealed that the most common counselling need of the police officers was organisational counselling needs. Negative perceptions associated with their work, how these perceptions affected their families and friends, and the need to uphold “higher image” in the public were the common operational counselling needs of the police officers. Inadequacy of equipment and resources, nature of internal investigations, inconsistency of leadership and dealing with supervisors were the common organisational counselling needs of the police officers. The common personal-social counselling needs of the respondents were solving interpersonal conflicts, understanding themselves, meeting family demands, solving marriage and relationship issues, and dealing with disappointments. There was no statistically significant gender difference in their counselling needs. There was a statistically significant age difference in the counselling needs of the police officers. It was recommended that leadership of the Ghana Police Service organise intermittent workshops focused on helping police officers to handle some of the organisational challenges they face.