The Guyana Police Force on Friday welcomed 86 new constables into its ranks and Commissioner of Police Leslie James urged them to always keep the law in mind when confronting whatever challenges they may encounter as they embark on their new journey as law enforcers.
A graduation ceremony was held for the new constables at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Square at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary.
The ranks are the successful graduates of Recruit Courses 377, 378 and 379, for which Constables 25282 Daniels, 25320 Marks, and 25333 Ramkissoon, respectively, were named the Best Students. Also awarded trophies were Constables 25267 Benjamin, 25300 Griffith, and 25330 Peters, who were judged to be the most improved, while the runners-ups were Constables 25280 Clarkson; 25393 George; 25329 Persaud.
James, in the feature address, congratulated all of the ranks and told them that they had overcome the physical and mental fatigue while becoming policemen in the noble force. He added that as of entering the force, they now take on challenges of lives as policemen.
James told them that whatever challenges they face need to be addressed with the law always in mind and in an assertive manner.
The ranks were congratulated for the discipline and ardor that they demonstrated throughout the eight months of rigorous training, which began on March 7th, 2019.
Training officer Senior Superintendent Fazil Karimbaksh noted that the persons graduating had come from different backgrounds and trained until they were transformed into law enforcement officers. Sergeant 18827 Gurdyal, who was one of the trainers, gave an overview of the training programme and noted that the recruits, after taking part in courses of basic policing, physical exercise, firearm training and other skills that encompass the various areas of work they will be involved in, should now be fully equipped to execute their duties. He noted that at the end of every lesson, the ranks were tested and graded based on their performance.
In addition they had been taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary where they were taught how to identify dead bodies and also taken to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they had firsthand experience with how cases are thoroughly synchronized in court rooms. The ranks were also involved in extracurricular activities such as football, cricket, basketball and swimming. Moral principle was enforced into the ranks by their trainers who constantly worked with them. He ended by saying the ranks are expected to live up to and mandate to the motto of the force, ‘service and protection’.
Constable 25302 Henry, a new recruit, offered a reflection on the courses and offered insight into the many experiences the recruits had during their time in training. Some graduating ranks signalled their bittersweet experiences when the constable made references to certain orders they would have grown accustomed to during their eight months of training.
In a vote of thanks, one of the runners-up, Constable 25393 George, thanked the trainers who worked with and cared for each new member of the force throughout their time training. “We came to this profession knowing little but are leaving this training programme with a vast amount of knowledge,” he said before the ceremony came to an end. (Lazeena Yearwood)
