Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 28, 2019 (SKNIS): The 43rd police training course began on Monday, January 28, 2019, officially signalling the journey of 34 individuals aspiring to become officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.
Commandant of the Police Training School, Inspector Eldrin Dickenson, welcomed the 31 males and three females as members of Course 43 and noted that the class is quite diverse as persons hail from St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Santo Domingo, Grenada and Jamaica.
The police and civilian instructors will have five and a half months, barring any interruptions, to transform the recruits into disciplined and dedicated police officers who are committed to making a difference in the community.
“During training, legitimacy must be the cornerstone. We must play by the laws of the land in order to get true results in the court,” Inspector Dickenson stated. “… We must be steadfast in our efforts to produce physical, well trained officers for the Federation.
Recruits will be assessed on physical training, self defence, written assessments of criminal law, evidence and procedure, general duties, weapons training and community policing.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Osmond Petty, expressed pleasure that community policing is part of the training classes.
“When you leave here in five and a half months, you must begin to demonstrate good policing. And good policing today is a police officer who can blend traditional with community-oriented approaches,” Mr. Petty said.
He cited a simple example, stressing the value of engaging with the public.
“You can’t pass people on the road with your face pushed up [and] don’t say good morning and then go back and ask them if they see anything because they are not going to answer you. You just passed [them] there,” Mr. Petty said.
The permanent secretary wished the recruits well and reminded them that “we need you on the streets.”
