BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 23, 2018 (Press Unit in the Office of Prime Minister) – Twenty eight law enforcement officers from five Regional Security System (RSS) territories, including St. Kitts and Nevis, are now better positioned to assume leadership roles within their respective agencies, following their successful completion of the RSS Training Institute’s Section Leaders Course on Friday, February 23, 2018.
The Section Leaders Course number 1 of 2018, which was conducted in St. Kitts and Nevis from January 15 – February 23, saw law enforcement personnel from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and host country St. Kitts and Nevis, undergo six weeks of gruelling mental and physical lectures and training exercises geared towards shaping and nurturing future leaders.
In congratulating the successful graduates, RSS Executive Director, Naval Captain Errington Shurland, said, “As security practitioners, you would have shown that you are adept at responding to challenges, that you understand the importance of teamwork and that you know that effective communication is an integral part of gaining the trust and confidence of your fellow officers and the general public at large. Successfully completing this course has equipped you with the skills to create and inspire, as a good leader should, a common vision amongst your colleagues as you demonstrate the art of leadership through participation rather than direction alone.”
Commissioner of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police, Mr. Ian Queeley, stated that the successful completion of the six-week course will serve as the foundation for many of the graduates’ future assignments.
The commissioner added, “What will define you from today is how well you embrace and implement the concepts and best practices of this course in your day to day performance of your duties. That is what will matter and that is what will set you apart from your peers, and that is what will put you in those positions of leadership within your units, which are so critical to ensuring success in a modern day policing or military environment.”
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, delivered the feature address at Friday’s closing ceremony.
Topics covered during the training course included introduction to leadership, commanders’ battle procedure, understanding personalities, logistics and admin in internal security and prisoners handling.
Prime Minister Harris said, “Some of these topics become even more critical as the security forces in all of our RSS member states, and throughout the region, are today challenged by a criminal element that is growing more sophisticated daily. Our security forces then must step up to the level and the intensity of their training, including self defence and physical training, in order to meet the new challenge.”
The National Security Minister further advocated for the continued training of law enforcement personnel throughout the RSS member territories.
“In today’s world, law enforcement requirements are constantly evolving and therefore if we are to continue to add value to the national and regional security apparatus the training of our young and future leaders is something that we must continue to invest in as has been demonstrated by the conduct of this Section Leaders Course,” Dr. Harris added.
At the end of six weeks of training, Police Constable Akeem Hendrickson of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, was named the Most Outstanding Student of Section Leaders Course number 1 of 2018.
Police Constable Trevin Mills, also of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, was presented with the Instructors’ Award.
