Senior Superintendent admitted to Guyana Bar
–in fulfilment of a long-held dream
WHAT started as a dream 11 years ago has now become a reality for Senior Superintendent of Police Edmond Cooper, who was on Tuesday admitted to the local Bar.
Cooper, who joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in 1992, will now be able to practise law here in Guyana.
“It wasn’t easy; it was very difficult, because I had a lot of challenges in the organisation, but I triumphed,” Cooper said. “It was resilience, courage and help from God that brought me this far,” he told the media after his admission ceremony.
He said that if given the opportunity by the GPF, he will be embarking on a training programme to share the knowledge he has gained with his colleagues to “up their game”, in a bid to bring back respect to the GPF.
“Education is the key to success,” Cooper said as he urged colleague policemen and women to further their education and remain committed to what they do.
“You might have challenges and roadblocks while you pursue your goal, but continue. Don’t stop!” the newly-appointed lawyer said.
He was admitted by Acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire at the Demerara High Court, following the presentation of a petition by prominent Attorneys-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith and Mark Waldron.
The petition contained a brief biography on Cooper, who hails from the East Berbice village of Nurney.
And while he is not the only one from the village to have gravitated to the Force, he is the first to have been elevated to the rank of Senior Superintendent.
He joined the GPF on September 14, 1992, as an apprentice, and was sworn in as a Constable on April 30, 1993. He started out as a general-duty rank at the Springlands Police Station, and later rose to the rank of Police Prosecutor, in which position he would serve for 14 years.
He was later elevated to the rank of Station Sergeant for the Sparendaam, Beterverwagting, and Cove & John Police Stations, respectively, before going on to serve as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Bartica, Linden, Cove & John, and Port Kaituma Police Stations.
Later, he would simultaneously hold the positions of Officer-in-Charge of the Impact Base at the Brickdam Police Station and Court Superintendent, following which he was appointed Deputy Commander of ‘A’ Division, Linden, and Berbice, respectively. More recently, however, he was appointed Commander of ‘D’ Division, ‘C’ Division, and Region Five.
He’s also served at one point or the other as OIC of the Project Office; Acting Force Training Officer; and Acting Second-in-Charge of Force Administration.
Cooper is the holder a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Guyana; an International Diploma in Leadership Studies from the American University of Peace Studies; and a Diploma in Private Investigation from Penn Foster College, in the USA.
He also holds a Diploma in Public Safety and Security Management from the University of Guyana; a Certificate in Criminology from the University of Guyana; a Diploma in Legal Studies; a Masters of Arts in Legal Studies; as well as a Major in Criminology, Industrial Relations and Sociology and a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Hugh Wooding Law School.
Cooper is also currently pursuing a PhD in Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism at the Charisma University, in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
