A TWO-WEEK capacity-building training course in the area of strategic planning was completed by police officers Friday at a closing ceremony held at the Officers’ Training Centre, Camp Road and Young Street, Georgetown.

The 16 officers who were certified commenced the programme on September 4.
The training is a direct recommendation emanating from the Security Sector Reform Programme (SSRP) interim report submitted by Presidential Adviser on Security, Russell Combe.
The officers focused on modernisation, succession planning, modern-day policing strategies and techniques, conducting research, preparing action plans and monitoring and evaluation.

Deputy British High Commissioner Ron Rimmer, said the programme would support the government’s efforts to provide a safe and secure environment for its citizens. He said the course was designed to improve the capacity, capability and operational efficiency of the strategic planning unit and to help provide the unit with the skills and expertise needed to implement recommendations to reform the force

Members of Suriname’s Police Corps as part of a deepening and widening collaboration with the GPF, also participated in the training. The partnership with the Surinamese is a significant and important one as the Dutch have helped the government of Guyana in a number of areas, including the capture of dangerous criminals.
John Krishnadath, one of the two inspectors from the Suriname Police Force, who participated in the training, stated: “We learnt that Suriname has similar problems like Guyana, so the techniques were very helpful to us.”

Sergeant Delon Fraser of the GPF noted that the training provided a great deal of information as it related to strategic planning and strategic management. He believes that the training will be able to take the strategic planning unit of the Guyana Police Force to another level. According to Fraser, “the techniques, the information, the modules were all new and I am sure that it will be a great asset to us while working there at the SVU (Special Victims Unit).”

In attendance were Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine; Presidential Adviser on Security Sector Reform, Russell Combe and the facilitators.