THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday added another 52 ranks to its manpower, after those graduated from two separate recruit training courses which were running concurrently over the last few months.Among those excelling in the courses was 18-year-old Osbert Cain from No. 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, who graduated as the best student; and 21-year-old Stephon Troy David Pearson of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), a former minibus conductor and tout, who graduated as the runner-up best student. The two were respectively part of training batches 329 and 330.

Pearson had applied on two previous occasions to join the Guyana Police Force, but had not been allowed entry. He managed to get into the college on the third try. His commitment and dedication on the job saw him being named the runner-up top student for his batch.

Prior to joining the Guyana Police Force, the secondary school graduate, who attained eight subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate with university-accepted grades, worked at Qualfon Guyana Inc as a customer service representative; then at Giftland OfficeMax, before moving on to become a minibus conductor in the Stabroek area.
Whenever he was not working as a conductor, he settled for the job of touting passengers for other minibuses, which earned him two hundred dollars or less for each bus he assisted in loading.

Best graduating student Cain, who delivered the vote of thanks, proved that he has a very good command of the English language and is well spoken. He told reporters after the event that he joined the Force as he saw it as an opportunity to help his country, not only in maintaining law and order, but in ensuring that those who violate the laws of the land are properly prosecuted.

He also said that, in the line of his job, it is his wish to be able to encourage those he will be arresting to stay away from a life of crime and remain on the right side of the law, since anything contrary to that will cause discomfort to them and their families. He said his mother was once a constable in the Guyana Police Force, but is now residing overseas.

Cain has to his credit passes in five subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC). Asked which part of the Force he would be more comfortable serving in, the young man said he would be comfortable with any posting the administration sees fit for him, and he has no problem serving as a general duty rank, as it would enable him to learn the work even faster.

BUILD ON OPPORTUNITIES
In remarks to the graduates, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud encouraged the ranks to make the best of the opportunities available to them. He said that, two decades ago, serving and former members of the Force were not privileged to, or even required to, consider taking up the opportunities currently available.
He spoke of the new emerging trend, wherein the Force is now looking to have ranks trained as rescuers and first medical responders, as they are very often the first to be on the scene of accidents and other situations where persons are either trapped or injured.

He also said it would go hand-in-hand with the climate change effects, which are seeing flash floods and hurricanes devastating so many lives, and the police are often called in to maintain law and order. Often, he said, due to their lack of medical training, the ranks are unable to assist persons, and have to wait until medical personnel arrive.

“We have to be able to cut our way into buildings and rescue persons. And we have situations where cars are driving rather fast on our roads, and when there are smash-ups, sometimes persons are trapped; and, more often, we are the first set of people on the scene,” the top cop reasoned.

SAVE LIVES
He stressed that police ranks have to now learn to save lives, so, accordingly, the Force is ensuring that members of patrols get some medical training, at least to become effective first responders; and this is among the new areas and responsibilities that the Force would be assuming.

Persaud added that the work environment and society are changing, and the Force needs to be able to adapt to those changes. He spoke of the constant reviewing of programmes within the organisation, and the challenges that the police are preparing for, even as ranks are being socialised to take advantage of emerging opportunities, as these allow them to become even more rounded individuals.

The recruits were reminded of their role as members of the Force, and of the oath they took, which is “to serve and protect”.

The top cop also warned police ranks who believe that it is their job to arrest and punish persons for offences committed. He warned that their job is to deliver the service that they are tasked to deliver.
He said the job of the GPF is to arrest offenders and prosecute law-breakers; it does not include punishing them. He advised the new ranks to simplify their jobs by telling individuals what offences they had committed, and why they were being arrested.

He also warned the cops not to employ violence in executing their duties. It was against that backdrop that he also touched on the prevention programmes that the organisation has to ease the instances of conflict and other stand-offs with members of the public.

Persaud opined that the police often get into conflict with vulnerable members of the public, thus the social crime prevention programmes are very important to the organisation, because they assist in addressing the social ills of the various communities.
Story and photos by Leroy Smith