Dampare is the youngest Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to be appointed in the fourth Republic of Ghana and the eighth youngest since Ghana gained independence.[7][8][9][10]
Dampare joined the Ghana Police Service in December 1990 at the age of 20 as a Police Constable. Dampare was named the overall Best Recruit at the National Police Training School in 1991, after completing his recruit training, and won all awards except the 'Best Marksman' award.[12] In 1996, he was named overall Best Cadet for the 32nd Cadet Officers' Course at the Ghana Police Academy (formerly, Police College) and received all awards, including Excellence in Professional Police Subjects and Excellence in Academic Subjects.[12]
Dampare rose through the ranks, serving as the Vice President's Aide-de-camp to John Evans Atta Mills, Vice President of Ghana (1997–2001) for 18 months,[13] the GPS's Chief Internal Auditor, the Municipal Commander for Cape Coast, the Regional Commander for Railways, Ports and Harbour (now the Police Marine Department), the Accra Regional Police Commander, and the Commandant of the Police Command and Staff College.[12]
In 2014, at the age of 44, Dampare was promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police (COP), a position he held until his appointment as Inspector-General of Police (IGP). He has had the opportunity of serving as the Head (Director-General) of almost every major department during his career in leadership and management.[12] He has served as Director-General for Administration and Welfare twice. He was also the Director-General of MTTD, the Director-General of Research and Planning, the Director-General of Operations, the Director-General of ICT, the Director-General of Finance, and the Director-General of the National Patrol Department (Police Visibility Department).[1][2][3][12]
On 12 September 2023, Dampare appeared before a parliamentary ad-hoc committee chaired by Samuel Atta Akyea about a leaked audio by some police officers and a commissioner of Police, George Alexander Mensah and Bugri Naabu, a former Northern regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in a conversation over a plot to remove him as the IGP.[20][21] In the leaked audio, the Police Commissioner is heard telling the Naabu that the NPP should forget winning the next general elections if Dampare remains in office.[22][20]
Personal life
Dampare is married to Anita Akuffo Dampare with six children, five sons and one daughter.[23] He is a devoted Christian, a member and elder of The Church of Pentecost.[24]