A second batch of 955 Community Protection Assistants (CPAs), drawn from Ashanti and Bono regions, under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has passed out after completing months of intensive Police training at the Police Training School at Patasi in Kumasi.
The first batch, made up of 1,200 recruits had previously passed out after a training session at the Police Training School.
The CPAs were trained in community interaction techniques, criminal law, procedure and investigation, traffic management, basic officer safety, human rights, basic security tips, discipline, mental toughness, physical training and foot drills.
Master Kwame Addo and Master Ebenezer Kwakye were adjudged Best in Drills and Best in Physical Training respectively.
Mr. Habib Kipo, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, YEA disclosed that his outfit had the mandate to create innovative and decent jobs for the teeming youth of the nation.
He indicated that the CPA initiative remains the most significant intervention of the YEA, stressing that it (CPA initiative) seeks not only to empowerment the youth with employable skills, but also to strengthen community-level policing as well as enhancing public safety.
Mr. Kipo noted that through the initiative communities would enjoy an improved sense of security and the Police Service would benefit from the additional hand to support their operations.
He disclosed that as part of creating sustainable jobs, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between YEA and GPS enjoins the latter to give priority to CPAs, who have learnt the basic policing and rudiments of the service, to be recruit to mainstream policing when it recruits its next in-take of personnel.
The Director congratulated the graduands for their endurance, commitment, and discipline throughout the rigorous training period and indicated that the values learnt must guide them as they set out to perform their duties, urging them to always remember that they are ambassadors of both the YEA and GPS.
Director Kipo emphasised that the conduct of graduands in their various communities would determine the success or otherwise of the laudable programme and charged them to remain “disciplined, courteous, hardworking and respectful” to the very people, they have been called to serve.
He further commended the leadership of YEA for the remarkable collaboration with the GPS, stressing that the partnership is a clear indication of government’s commitment to youth empowerment and national security as contained in the President’s “reset agenda”.
Mr. Kipo also expressed appreciation to the Commanding Officer and Instructors of the Police Training School for the professionalism and dedication.
He hoped the CPAs would be change-makers in the communities and called for support, guidance and encouragement for them to give off their best to facilitate safer communities and a stronger Ghana.
From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi
