JHASS

Article http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.02.001

Strengthening Cybersecurity in Policing: Emerging Challenges, Institutional Realities, and Strategic Pathways for Ghana’s Law Enforcement Agencies

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Bashiru S. Zibo

1Ghana Police Service, Accra Regional Command, Accra GA-014, Ghana.

2Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations, Kings University College (KUC), Accra GP 18835, Ghana.

*Corresponding author: Bashiru S. Zibo

Published: February 11,2026

Abstract

The rapidly increasing rate of cyber-related crimes in Ghana has brought about some far-reaching consequences to policing, institutional viability, and national security. Although the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has recorded significant strides in its digital operations in the last ten years, its capacity gaps remain unaddressed, which still prevent it from foreseeing, timeously responding to, and stopping complex cyber threats. This article discussed the emerging cybersecurity issues faced by law enforcement agencies in Ghana, questioned the realities of the institutions that determine the effectiveness of operational performance, and suggested strategic options for enhancing digital preparedness. The research relied on the exploratory qualitative research design to rely on interviews, policy documents, frameworks of cybersecurity, and thematic analysis to shed some light on interactions between the organisational culture, adoption of technology, and changing threat environments. The findings of the study revealed that even when cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated, institutional readiness is uneven, and the incapacity to respond is hindered by a lack of infrastructure, limited competence, and disjointed inter-agency collaboration. The article suggested a multi-layered solution, which includes capacity-building, legal reforms, digital literacy, enriching forensic capacity, and introducing closer synergies between the state actors and the private digital ecosystem. Strengthening cybersecurity in policing is ultimately not a technical pursuit alone, but an institutional transfor-mation that Ghana must prioritise to safeguard public trust and national stability.

Keywords

Cybercrime; Cybersecurity; Cybersecurity Act; Ghana; Ghana Police Service

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How to cite this paper

Strengthening Cybersecurity in Policing: Emerging Challenges, Institutional Realities, and Strategic Pathways for Ghana’s Law Enforcement Agencies

How to cite this paper: Bashiru S. Zibo. (2026) Strengthening Cybersecurity in Policing: Emerging Challenges, Institutional Realities, and Strategic Pathways for Ghana’s Law Enforcement Agencies. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science10(2), 114-120.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.02.001