(Trinidad Express) In keeping with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s new approach, officers new and old are being made to learn customer service and community policing tactics.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing yesterday at Police Administration Building, Sackville Street, Port of Spain, public information officer Sgt Wayne Mystar said the tactics are like “refresher” courses for those who have already graduated.
Mystar said at the Police Service training academy, recruits undergo a number of training exercises, such as community policing and customer service.
“Because that is the direction we are heading and we want to get in there and build back the trust. That is one of the training packages offered at the police academy and that is offered to all police officers.”
Mystar said the aim is to have every police officer as a community police officer.
“There are some instances where officers must use the hard approach, but generally all police officers would be geared and trained and equipped to use the soft approach as it pertains to dealing with the public,” he said.
Asked what they will be learning specifically, as customer care for the police is far different to other industries, Mystar said the officers will be introduced to people skills as officers in the past have been accused of not being friendly to the public.
He added that what was being offered at the academy was an improvement in their communications skills in dealing with the public.
Mystar said the training has “started a while now” and is for both recruits and those already graduated.
