The 2nd Batch of Five Thousand (5,000) Community Policing Assistant (CPA) recruits have passed out from the six (6) Police Training Schools across the country under the Community Policing Assistant Module of the National Youth Agency (YEA).

Here in Ho, Six Hundred and Thirty-One (631) of such recruits made up of, 139, 146 and 346 from the Volta, Oti and  Eastern Regions respectively have passed out at a ceremony held on Friday, 27th January, 2023 at the Police Training School. As part of the ceremony, the recruits put on a parade which had the Hon. Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa as the Reviewing Officer.

The recruits were taken through a 2-week intensive training in some basic policing courses, namely Human Rights, Client Care, Community Policing, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Traffic Management, Practical Police Duties and Professional Police Ethics.

Addressing the parade, the Regional Director of YEA, Mr. Emmanuel Kwabena Quarshie, who represented the Chief Executive Officer  of the Agency congratulated the new CPA recruits for the display of intellect and resilience during the training.

He expressed gratitude to the Regional Police Commander and the Officer-in-charge of the Police Training School, Ho for the unwavering and impressive support offered to the YEA during the training period.

He recalled that the administration of former President Kuffour launched the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in 2006 which has currently become the YEA to address the increasing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

Furthermore, he stated that the CPA Module was one of the first traditional modules designed to engage young men and women to support the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to maintain order, enforce law, protect lives and property and generally enhance safety and security in communities.

Mr. Quarshie indicated that the module as being rolled out in its current form seeks to employ Fifteen Thousand (15,000) CPAs. Out of that number, Five Thousand (5,000) being the first batch had passed out in December 2022 and were serving in various communities. He  stated that the 2nd batch of Five Thousand (5,000) were passing out across the Six (6) Police Training School of the Country to be followed by the third batch in March 2023.

Mr. Quarshie intimated that a number of CPAs who had benefited under the module joined the Ghana Police Service and other security services. He therefore entreated the current beneficiaries to demonstrate a high standard of professionalism and exhibit proper attitude towards work in order that good recommendations would be made about them should the need arise.

On what becomes of the CPAs after the expiration of their 2-year contract, Mr. Quarshie noted that YEA together with the GPS was in the process of designing exit routes for them in order that the GPS could retain as many of them as possible.

He seized the opportunity to mention the other modules which were in operation, namely Community Health Worker, Youth in Prison Service and Youth in Sanitation.

He, however, stated that modules such as Youth in Entrepreneurship, Youth in Agriculture and Afforestation, Community Education Teaching Assistants (CETA), Youth in ICT, and Youth in Coastal Sanitation would be run within the year.

Mr. Quarshie advised the CPAs to put their service at the disposal of the nation, and safeguard the reputation of YEA.

He further advised them to eschew any act of disobedience and insubordination, for such acts would not be tolerated by YEA. He gave the above advice whiles assuring the CPAs of the readiness of YEA to provide them with all the necessary support in the performance of their duties.  

Importantly, he reminded them to ensure that they add value “to their personal development.”

The Regional Commander of GPS, DCOP/Mr. Andrews Boadu-Ekumah, on his part, commended the recruits for successfully undergoing the training. He noted that the Ghana Police Service was undergoing a massive transformation to regain the trust and respect it had lost.

He, therefore, requested that the recruits  go all out and serve well in the communities they would find themselves.

On behalf of the the Inspector General of Police (IGP), he informed the recruits of the readiness of all District and Divisional Commanders of the Ghana Police Service to receive and assist them to execute their duties. Thus, he entreated them to show respect to all the people they would be serving; their colleagues;  and police officers under whom they would be working.

He as well entreated them to exhibit a high sense of commitment and explained that Community Policing was to bring policing to the doorsteps of the people.

During the delivery of his address, the the Reviewing Officer congratulated the recruits on successful completion of the basic police training to effectuate the opportunity of serving the good people of Ghana for the two years ahead of them. He expressed optimism about they executing well the task ahead of them by taking instructions from the officers of the Ghana Police Service under whom they would be serving.

Dr. Letsa reminded them of the need to conduct themselves appropriately  with the understanding that they were not Police Officers.

He entreated them to be good ambassadors of the YEA, whiles he stressed the need for them to seize the opportunity to upgrade themselves.

Finally, he conveyed the congratulations and gratitude of H.E. the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the recruits  and the Ghana Police Service respectively.