The Upper West Regional Police Command has begun evaluating how 90 officers are applying community policing training aimed at building public trust, improving intelligence gathering and preventing crime.
A one-day validation workshop was held in Wa on Monday, October 12, with support from the Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM). It reviewed the work of officers who completed the training in April 2026 and examined how the lessons had been put into practice in their communities.
The 90 personnel, drawn from three districts in the Upper West Region, took part in the programme in three cohorts.
Opening the workshop, Upper West Regional Police Commander DCOP Francis Yiribaare said the success of the initiative should be judged by its effect on policing and relationships between officers and the public, rather than by the number of participants or certificates issued.
“The true value of any training programme is not measured solely by the number of personnel trained or the certificates awarded. Rather, its value lies in how effectively participants apply the knowledge and skills acquired to improve police service delivery, build public confidence and promote safer communities,” he said.
DCOP Yiribaare said the validation process would identify progress, implementation challenges and remaining gaps. It would also assess how far community policing principles had become part of officers’ routine law enforcement work.
He stressed that community policing should be embedded in police operations and not restricted to occasional public education programmes or community meetings.
The commander urged officers to cooperate with traditional authorities, local government institutions, youth and women’s groups, community leaders and other stakeholders. Such partnerships, he said, could help resolve security concerns before they developed into more serious problems.
He added that public confidence was central to effective policing because communities that trusted the police were more likely to provide reliable information, assist investigations and take part in crime prevention efforts.
District commanders were also asked to provide the leadership, supervision and logistical support needed to turn the training into measurable improvements in security delivery.
DCOP Yiribaare said the command would use the workshop’s findings and recommendations to strengthen community policing throughout its operational areas.
CSSM support
Ekanem Bassey, Head of Sub-Office and Field Coordinator of CSSM, said the organisation’s backing was intended to improve the ability of Ghana’s security agencies to work effectively with the communities they serve.
She said CSSM provided support after the Ghana Police Service identified community policing as a priority, while emphasising that the initiative had been designed and led by the police.
“We don’t do anything by ourselves. We actually support partners to carry out activities once priorities have been identified,” she said.
Madam Bassey praised the officers for community engagements and media activities carried out in the three districts since the April training.
“Policing cannot be done alone. It’s a joint effort between security officers and the communities. And the more you are equipped to be able to take on that approach, the more effective policing would be,” she said.
She encouraged the trained officers to continue the work and share their knowledge with colleagues.
The Wa workshop was the first of three regional validation exercises supported by CSSM. Similar events will be held in two other regions.
The exercise is expected to produce recommendations for sustaining community policing and strengthening institutional commitment to the strategy.
