1,140 community policing trainees complete training

Community Protection Officers (CPOs) numbering 1,140 have completed their training under the Community Safety and Security Innovation Module of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).

The youth, will also be given a two-year contract, to assist the Ghana Police Service in intelligence gathering and executing their duties as law enforcement officers.

The recruits were taken through an intensive three-week course in basic policing and crime prevention.

This forms part of several training courses being offered to thousands of youth by the agency in various sectors including health, education and security, to enable them gain meaningful employment for a living.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Friday, 4 May 2018, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said the YEA is prioritising job opportunities for Ghanaian youth to help reduce unemployment.

He stressed that the community policing initiative will help reduce the spate of social vices in various communities across the country.

“The youth occupy a significant place in society and represent a resource of extraordinary potential [and] if opportunities are open to them they become resources for development”.

This, he said, informed the programme, which, he said, will help to complement the work of the police, especially in rural communities.

For his part, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, said the ministry will establish a job centre which will offer a platform for both employers and job seekers to meet and transact business.