Residence Process.....

As part of the process to become a person with "resident" status I need to have a "criminal record check" and a Medical. So off I went to the central police station, a bit on edge since this is where the "Police" are, they tend to be very sensitive and intolerant - just my personal experience when I have met some of them. The only way I have compensated is to be really really polite....

...well the process goes like this, through the barred doors, down the narrow corridor with bars on the windows which line the route, then left at the end into a room laid out so randomly I had no clue what to do...so over to the table, no not here, pay your money, so I go to the cashier a man sitting high up through the railings and I explain I'm here for a residency criminal record check.

He asks "passport!" "ok, so you're British. Oh so your family really" he grins with a great big smile and puts out his hand, so I put mine through the grill and stretch to shake on it...
I replied, "So does that mean my check is passed!" cheeky I know, but I find the humour works a lot....

He grins and from there the whole process goes really well, I even got pushed through the queue (I felt a bit guilty..but hey! they told me..) a lot of thank you's from me, some photos (wow I looked old in them) and lots finger prints...by Detective Inspector of the Ghana CID (never had that done before). Anyway in about 2 weeks and for an $80 fee I should have a criminal record check complete. It's a bit different from the Canadian and British ones I've done before....

And to prove it I took a secret photo of the finger prints...(photos in the police station I don't think would have been flavour of the month!