Ghanaian immigrants’ differential trust in and obligation to obey the US police and Ghana police: findings from a qualitative study

Abstract

Qualitative research enhances scholars’ and practitioners’ understanding of our social world. Most published studies on trust in the institution of policing and obligation to obey the police are undergirded by quantitative data; as a result, this research study enhances the literature on trust and obligation to obey by employing a qualitative approach. In this study, interviews obtained from two focus groups of Ghanaians in Alexandria, Virginia explored research participants’ understanding of trust in the institution of policing and obligation to obey the police in the United States and Ghana. The continued migration of sub-Saharan Africans to the United States means that the US police must begin to address this immigrant community’s policing needs. The results of this study show that although Ghanaian immigrants trust the US police more than the Ghana police, the respondents believe also that the US police are overbearing and abuse their authority. Additionally, the participants’ greater confidence in the US police is tempered by a lack of clarity as to whether the participants’ trust in the US police is due to their felt obligation to obey the police or due to a ‘dull compulsion.’ The implications of the findings are discussed.