945 Community Protection Assistant Have Graduated at Ho Police Training School

The graduating personnel comprise 322 from the Volta Region, 147 from the Oti Region, and 477 from the Eastern Region. The ceremony, which took place at 10:00 a.m., was attended by security chiefs, municipal chief executives, and members of parliament.

This marks the first batch of 2025 recruits, employed under the auspices of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA). The Volta Regional Minister, Hon. James Gunu, served as the Reviewing Officer for the passing-out parade.

Addressing the gathering, YEA Director Mr. Daniel Hamenu expressed gratitude to the parents and guardians of the graduands, as well as to the Commanding Officer of the Ho Police Training School, ACP William Yankson Akorlatse, for his unwavering support during the training period.

“I sincerely appreciate your cordial working relationship,” Mr. Hamenu said, commending all staff who contributed to the success of the training.

Mr. Hamenu explained that the Community Protection Assistant model is a long-standing YEA program designed to engage young men and women to assist the Ghana Police Service in protecting lives and property, maintaining law and order, and enhancing safety and security in local communities.

He revealed that the YEA has set a strategic target of recruiting 12,000 CPAs in 2025, with this batch representing the first group to pass out from six training schools nationwide. The second batch is expected to report for training in the coming days.

However, he noted a key challenge with the program — the exit arrangement after the two-year contract period. To address this, the YEA is collaborating with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Police Service to explore opportunities for some CPAs to be absorbed into the main police service.

He urged the graduands to serve with commitment, sacrifice, honesty, and dedication to earn positive recommendations for future opportunities. He also reminded them that the YEA runs other employment models, including Prison Support Assistants, Medical First Responders, Youth in Arabic Education, Community Education Teaching Assistants, and Kitchen Support Assistants.

In his speech, the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Wisdom Akorli, congratulated the graduands, describing the day as a “significant milestone” in their journey toward law enforcement.

He disclosed that the trainees studied a range of subjects, including ethics, community policing, crime management, customer care, human rights, intelligence gathering, criminal law, traffic management, and practical police duties.

DCOP Akorli emphasized the crucial role of CPAs in patrolling neighborhoods, preventing crime, fostering trust between the police and the public, providing timely intelligence, and assisting with educational campaigns and sensitization programs.

“The Community Policing Assistants play a vital role in safeguarding our communities,” he said, urging them to be good ambassadors for the YEA and the Ghana Police Service.

The graduation parade closed with a pledge from the CPAs to serve with integrity and uphold the values of the service in their assigned communities