Thirty-two police officers from various departments throughout the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force are better equipped for the job following a successful Basic Development Training Course held at the Old Montrose Police Training School which commenced on July 6, 2020, and culminated on August 26, 2020.
Those were the sentiments echoed by Commandant of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Training School, Superintendent of Police, Benzil Samuel while delivering welcoming remarks at the Basic Development Training Course graduation ceremony. According to the Commandant, thirty-five students commenced the course; however, two persons had to return to their unit for medical reasons while another person resigned.
He lamented that the training was designed and geared towards targeting police officers between one (1) and five (5) years of service. Superintendent Samuel noted that training and retraining is a very important function as it will help the participants to grow individually, which will in turn propel the organization forward. He encouraged the participants to apply the knowledge gained to help with the effective and efficient execution of their duties.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leonard Fergus also addressed and congratulated the participants. He reminded them of the importance of training and reiterated that they are the most valuable resource of the police force. He noted that the graduation demonstrated yet another successful training course that was conceptualized and executed by the Police Training School under the auspices of the Police High Command.
He emphasised that in a rapidly changing society, policing can be very challenging – especially with the increase in technology. He noted however that in order to contend with that reality, there is a need for constant training which is the aim of the High Command of the RSVGPF. He encouraged the young officers to maintain law and order at all times and discharged their duties fairly without fear or favour.
ACP Fergus told the officers that the effectiveness of a good police officer is demonstrated through a high sense of purpose and discipline in the performance of their duties. He lamented that not only are their peers looking on, but the public as well; who has a vested and keen interest in how they operate as police officers. He urged them to always seek to gain and maintain the public trust and cooperation, because it is paramount in how effective they would be as law enforcement officers
In delivering the keynote address, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Colin John told the participants “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time” In seeking to motivate the officers to always be focused and driven, he used his career as a police officer. He outlined that he joined the organization on January 16, 1988 and gave a brief history of the various departments and police stations where he would have worked.
He highlighted that he had a passion for law and that propelled him to begin the journey of being qualified. According to the Commissioner, he successfully enrolled in A’ Level law classes which later gave him the opportunity to pursue his law degree in England.
The Commissioner made it clear to the participants that he was in no way attempting to glorify himself; but merely wish to encourage them to set goals and aim to achieve them. He advised the officers not to rest on their “laurels” because they are police officers now, but gain the necessary qualifications in order to improve their status. He reminded the participants that the world is becoming more and more competitive. However, he went on to state that so long as they have the necessary qualifications, there are numerous opportunities available to them.
In concluding his remarks, the Commissioner encouraged the graduates to work hard, stay focused and disciplined in order to propel themselves and the organization.
Some of the topics covered were Powers and Mode of Arrest, Police Organization Mission and Core Values, Judges Rules, Court of Law and Procedure, ISPS Code, the Fisheries Act, Effective Communication, Traffic Offences, Customer Service, Drug Control Act, Domestic Violence Act, Mental Health and Protocols to name a few.
PC 996 Sylvorne Lavia received the award for the Most Outstanding Police Officer on the training course.