By John Baimba Sesay
Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and Deputy Inspector General of Police Andrew Kamara on Monday, 17 August 2026, presided over the opening ceremony marking the commencement of a six-week physical and academic training programme for 70 recruits of the Freetown City Council (FCC) Metropolitan Police.
The training is being conducted at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA) in Hastings and forms part of the Council’s efforts to strengthen its Metropolitan Police personnel and enhance service delivery across the city.
The new intake includes 24 women, representing 34 percent of the recruits. The recruitment also marks a 10 percent increase in the total personnel of Freetown City Council. It directly contributes to the Council’s Transform Freetown–Transforming Lives development plan, which has job creation for women and young people as its overarching goals.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr thanked the Sierra Leone Police leadership for its continued partnership with the Council, including its support for the ongoing DortiMusGo waste management campaign and previous trainings delivered to FCC Metropolitan Police personnel.
She described the journey from application and interviews through to the required medical examinations as a lengthy process, but said the commencement of training represented “a new chapter” for both the recruits and the Freetown City Council.
She urged the recruits to make full use of the six-week training opportunity, stressing the importance of becoming properly trained officers and demonstrating the integrity required in the execution of their duties.
Also speaking at the event, Deputy Inspector General of Police Andrew Kamara described the training as the beginning of a long journey through which the recruits would be transformed from ordinary citizens into professionally trained officers entrusted with providing enforcement services to the Freetown City Council.
He cautioned the recruits against viewing the programme solely as an opportunity for employment, emphasising that their training must be matched by a strong commitment to serving Freetown’s residents to the best of their ability.
The ceremony was also attended by the SILEA Commandant, ACP Brima Kamara Esq.; FCC councillors and staff; and members of the Metropolitan Police leadership.
