FORGE ALLIANCES

Commandant of the Regional Police Training
Centre (RPTC), Sylvester Louis.

Caribbean police forces are being told that they have to move with haste to forge greater alliances with counterpart law enforcement agencies overseas.

The advice has come from Commandant of the Regional Police Training Centre (RPTC), Sylvester Louis. Delivering the welcome address at the 137th Passing Out Parade for Recruits recently at the Centre’s Seawell headquarters, Louis said that it is equally important that the regional forces continue to utilise the forum of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police to propel the requisite type of training for the continued development of their personnel.

Most Outstanding Overseas Student, Delma Tavernier (left), Woman Police Constable No. 262 of the Royal Virgin Islands
Police Force, accepting her award from Marcia Cumberbatch.

With that in mind, the Commandant noted that the region is in dire need of expanded training for officers above the rank of Inspector. He said that executive development training has become a priority and he explained that given the complexity of managing modern police agencies, it is absolutely important that they address this deficit as soon as possible. Louis noted that there is a need for exposure to the theory and practice, which could include such topics as executive leadership and ethics, strategic management, information system and managing human and financial resources.

“…[But] it must be noted that we are hamstrung due to a lack of suitable residential accommodation for senior officers. To this end, I have been promised some assistance from Colonel Alvin Quintyne and some international donors to have this anomaly rectified. So soon, very soon we may be seeing some movement in that area,” he added.

Speaking about other developments at the RPTC, the Commandant revealed that they have completed the setting up of the cyber lab, which will assist in the training of cyber crime investigations and computer forensics. Additionally, he said that the Centre will be building a moving target at its shooting range, at no expense to the Barbados government.

Louis made the comments as he spoke of the success of the Centre this year, conducting 24 senior workshops and courses for over 420 students. He said that they have participation from police forces in the region, including Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, St. Vincent and Antigua, as well as organisations in Barbados such as the Barbados Defence Force, the Court Process Department and Sagicor.