The concept of capable guardianship: Exploring police views on tourist protection in Ghana

Security remains central to any discourse on tourism development. Unsafe destinations lose not only tourist patronage, but, more importantly, the much-needed hard currency to be derived from visitation. It is also well established in the literature that increasing tourist patronage is positively associated with the potential of higher victimization rates. However, the role of the police has rarely received attention in the literature. It is therefore important to study the perceptions and activities of security agencies (especially the police) at destinations. Using an exploratory approach and the 3P framework, this study was undertaken to assess the views of some Ghanaian police officers on issues concerning tourist protection. The respondents were reached using purposive sampling, and the data were extracted through in-depth interviews. It was discovered that aside from perceiving tourists as irresponsible and careless, some policemen operationalize crime in a manner that makes them passive towards tourist protection. These perceptions coupled with logistical constraints contribute to their inability to act as capable guardians.