… Hundreds of officers being trained at CPCE
THE Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Education on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two organisations partnering to deliver specially designed training programmes for members of the force.
The main objective of the agreement stipulates that training will be developed and provided to members of the force, particularly those who are instructors within the GPF, which will be done at the level of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
The MoU was signed in the ministry’s boardroom at Brickdam, Georgetown, by Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag), Calvin Brutus, and Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Education Ministry, Alfred King.
Brutus in his remarks emphasized that the signing of the MoU forms one part of the force’s strategic plans, which includes partnerships with various stakeholders and organisations to further boost crime prevention and to develop the country as a whole.
“We are engaging all stakeholders in partnership to develop the force, renew its image and also assist in developing the country as a whole, focusing on community relations initiatives,” Brutus said.
Further highlighting some of the plans that are in motion to develop the force, Commissioner Brutus also explained that the administration of the force is working tirelessly to have the GPF’s training colleges accredited and certified.
“Our ambition is to achieve, within the next five years, ISO certification for our colleges. So, we have to push hard to get at that level and one of the quickest routes of getting there is partnering with institutions which have core competencies in particular areas we are looking at, to accelerate our training,” Brutus said.
Underscoring the significance of the agreement with the ministry, Brutus noted that it will enable members of the force, who will be trained in the various areas, to have the opportunity to give back to the communities and be able to assist the youths through the force’s newly formed Community Relations Department.
“Just before we came here, we launched the Community Relations Department, and the role of the department will be youth empowerment and development, addressing and assisting the vulnerable members of society, [including] single mothers and those who can’t afford financially or otherwise to pursue skills-training programmes,” Brutus shared.
Present at the signing were Force Training Officer, Superintendent Keithon King; Head of the Community Relations Department, Woman Superintendent Crystal Robinson; Head of the Strategic Planning Unit, Woman Assistant Superintendent Nicola Kendal; and Head of the force’s Corporate Communications Unit, Mark Ramotar. (Report by Avindra Rajballi of GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit)