Tema: The Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA), in collaboration with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has officially introduced 75 community police and fire service assistants to support municipal operations.
According to Ghana News Agency, the group includes 32 community police assistants, equally divided between 16 males and 16 females, and 39 fire service assistants, consisting of 20 males and 19 females. These assistants have undergone three weeks of training specific to their respective services.
Mr. Ludwig Teye Totimeh, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive, highlighted the need for these assistants to supplement the existing police and fire services, which face personnel shortages in the area. He emphasized that these individuals are not full-service personnel and cautioned them against misrepresenting their roles in the community.
Mr. Totimeh stated, “Those that we have employed as assistants are not fully police or fire officers; they should not therefore portray themselves as such. They have been given training and must work within those limits; they should not go about claiming positions that they don’t have.” He also noted that the initiative not only bolsters security personnel but also provides employment opportunities for the youth.
Mr. Mohammed Judah, the Greater Accra Regional Director of YEA, encouraged the assistants to always wear their uniforms and advised them against trying to equalize themselves with official security personnel. He urged them to use this experience as a stepping stone for future job opportunities in security agencies.
Mr. Judah explained that the fire assistants will focus on public fire safety education, while the community police assistants will aid in crime prevention and gather intelligence on local criminal activities for police action.