The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has officially begun the training of Community Police Assistants at various Police Training Schools across the country.

This significant step follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in May this year between the Ghana Police Service and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), aimed at recruiting and training 12,000 youth to bolster law enforcement efforts nationwide.

Speaking at the ceremony at the National Police Training School on Wednesday in Accra, the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Mr. Ebener Okletey Terlabi, highlighted the importance of the initiative in equipping young Ghanaians with essential skills and values to assist the Ghana Police Service in its mandate of promoting peace, preventing crime, and strengthening trust within communities.

He emphasised that the initiative is not just about training people to enforce the law, but also about fostering partnerships and dialogue.

“The trainees will be instilled with the values of integrity, discipline, and service, which will guide them throughout their lives,” he added.

The Director General of Human Resources of the GPS, DCOP Frederick Blagodzi, emphasised the importance of the programme in enhancing public safety and fostering a vital link between the police and their communities.

He urged trainees to remain committed to the vision of serving with professionalism and respect.

The Chief Executive Officer of YEA, Mr. Malik Basintale, thanked the Ghana Police Service for the partnership and commitment to ensuring the success of the programme.

He noted that the programme provides a valuable opportunity for young men and women to contribute to public safety.

The Community Police Assistant Programme is designed to serve as a strategic approach to proactive policing, community engagement, and youth empowerment, as the nation seeks to deepen public trust in law enforcement and reduce crime nationwide.

Judith Twumwaa, ISD