IGP David Asante-Apeatu
More than 1,000 youth are expected to be recruited, trained and deployed as Community Policing Assistants (CPAs) under the National Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in the Western Region as part of efforts to help reduce the high unemployment in the country.
The initiative forms part of partnership between the YEA and Ghana Police Service on Community Safety and Security Innovation aimed at helping to address youth unemployment in the country.
In all, about 15,000 youth are expected to be recruited nationwide under the initiative.
Several training courses are being offered to thousands of youth by the Agency in the areas of health, education and security to enable them gain meaningful employment.
Alhaji Bashiri Ibrahim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of YEA in-charge of operations, disclosed this at a sensitization workshop for personnel of the Police Service on the new Community Policing module in Takoradi on Friday.
He emphasized that it was the responsibility of the police to protect the fundamental human rights of Ghanaian, adding “all of us are responsible players in that regard. That is why YEA saw it prudent to collaborate with the Ghana Police Service to carry out these efforts.
He continued, “Our mandate at YEA is to develop, coordinate and supervise the creation of jobs for the teeming youth to fulfilling not only the vision of Ghana Police Service but also that of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
Mr Bashiru appealed to the Police Service to give preference to trained beneficiaries after their period of engagement in relation to recruitment into the Service.
COP Akuribah Yaagy, the Director-General of the National Patrol Department (NPD) of the Ghana Police Service, explained that the new community policing strategy focuses on improved visibility and accessibility in the communities to guarantee maximum protection.
“It will also enhance services up to the standards of international best practices and the Police Service is also introducing a more professional, cost-effective and community friendly model of policing,” he pointed out.
According to him, the Community Policing Module is also to promote the image of the Police and public relations through community engagements.
He encouraged all District Police Commanders to form neighbourhood watch dogs to assist the police in gathering intelligence in the communities to help combat crime.
COP Yaagy urged officers of the service to stop violating the human rights of suspects, noting that those who break the law would not be spared.
He also warned officers to avoid any acts that would dent the image of the Police Service.
He pointed out that civilians’ oversight body would be constituted for all the 6,000 electoral areas in the country for effective monitoring of the recruits.
COP Yaagy indicated that security was a shared responsibility so all should work hard to combat crime.