In a big push to improve safety and create jobs, the Ghana Police Service and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) have started training 12,000 young people to serve as Community Police Assistants. This training began in late July 2025 at the National Police Training School in Tesano and other training centres around the country.
This programme follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2025 between the Ghana Police Service and YEA. The goal is to recruit and train youth aged between 18 and 35 to support police in local communities. The trainees will learn basic policing skills, community engagement, crime prevention, conflict resolution, emergency response, and principles of trust and service.
Deputy Minister for the Interior, Honourable Ebener Okletey Terlabi, spoke at the launch in Tesano, highlighting that the programme is about more than training—it is about building dialogue and strong bonds between police and citizens. He said the young recruits will be taught values such as integrity, discipline, and service to others.
DCOP Frederick Blagodzi, Director General of Human Resources at the Ghana Police Service, added that the initiative will improve public safety and create an important link between police and their communities. He urged the trainees to stay committed and professional.
YEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Malik Basintale, thanked the police service for the collaboration and said the programme offers a valuable chance for young Ghanaians to help ensure peace in their communities while gaining work experience.
This initiative addresses two pressing issues in Ghana today. First, it tackles youth unemployment by giving structured training and roles for 12,000 young people. Second, it strengthens national security by increasing visible and trusted law enforcement presence within local areas.
The recruits will be placed in police districts around the country and will support regular officers in preventing crime, monitoring neighbourhoods, and serving as channels of communication between police and residents.
Training includes both classroom theory and practical exercises over several weeks. After completion, the newly trained Community Police Assistants will be deployed across all 16 regions in Ghana, working under police supervision and rooted in their own communities.
By creating jobs for youth and boosting community safety, the training aligns with broader government goals. It reflects a modern vision of community‑based policing where citizens work alongside law enforcement. It also adds to YEA’s record of successful youth employment schemes, including recent partnerships to recruit thousands of Fire Service Assistants.
The programme is expected to improve trust in law enforcement, reduce minor crimes through prevention, and give trainees job skills that could lead to future career paths in security or other fields.
