SOME 32 ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have successfully completed an international training course in prosecution at School of the Nations.

The graduates are the second batch of police officers to benefit from the course. Among them are three top performers who all completed their studies with a 100 per cent pass rate.

The police prosecutors’ course was established to give police ranks formal accredited training to improve their performance in court.

Top performer Danilla Dow was excited after receiving her examination results.

She said: “I was scared and didn’t want to continue because it was new to me. I had never done anything like that before.”

Happy about the new knowledge, the police constable said she intends to further her studies in the field, explaining that the course has helped her to better understand and appreciate the law.

“The partnership between the GPF and Nations and other educational institutions to teach police the law and court procedure, and how to deal with citizens will benefit the force, as police will become more aware of the law,” Dow said.

Another top performer, Corporal Carl Pedro said that the course will enhance his capabilities as a police officer.

“It helped me to better understand the power that the police possess so that I won’t overstep my authority. It also helped me to better understand that the role of a prosecutor is not to get a conviction but to ensure that justice is served,” Pedro related.

Meanwhile, Elisha Barrington felt privileged after having the opportunity to complete the course. Her intention now is to do her best in the court to ensure justice is served.

“The field of prosecuting is new to me, but I grasped a lot that will help me as a prosecutor in the criminal justice system. The facilitator was adamant that we understand and know what to look for before establishing certain offences and before an actual case can be made out,” Barrington said.

The government has committed to invest in the Guyana Police Force, particularly to enhance the effectiveness of police prosecutors during court proceedings. (DPI)