Dear Editor
Training is the main root for development of the Guyana Police Force. Other Departments and Divisions, even though very important, are but the branches of the tree. Cut the main root and the tree dies. Training is about knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour. It is also about the development of the organisation most precious resource – its people. Not the expensive vehicle, recently used by the police to engage in a high speed chase with another vehicle and with deadly consequences, or the high powered rifle recently used outside of headquarters to unlawfully kill an unarmed individual in his bed, or the soon to be purchased nightsticks, batons, clubs, chemical irritants, including pepper spray or tear gas, conducted electrical weapons, including a taser or stun gun, kinetic impact projectiles, including rubber-coated bullets or a water cannon as listed under Section 2 (b) of the Police ( Amended ) Bill 2021, intended for use against protesters.
It is against this background of perpetual unprofessional and unethical behaviour displayed by members of the Force, at all levels, that I am again making a call for the GPF to replicate and sustain the training courses conducted by The Emergence Group (TEG) of the United States of America during 2009/2010. They were relevant then. They are even more important now. Let me be very pellucid. Training is not the plaster for every sore, but it will act as a catalyst to influence acceptable behaviour from members of the Force. However, other critical areas, like the abandoned GPF Strategic Plan 2011/20015, must come into play. That Plan identified several priorities areas needed to deliver the highest quality of service to the country. They include: Operational Priorities, People, Performance, Partnerships and Infrastructure. The Strategic Plan was disbanded by former Commissioner, Sealall Persaud, although the Government spent millions of dollars to create it. After intervention by government, it returned to the front burner. The fire has since been switched off.
FLASH BACK! Under the Citizens Security Programme, the Institutional Modernisation of the Guyana Police Force was put in place. As part of the Programme, the Inter – American Development Bank funded the “One-Year Comprehensive Training Plan” which was conducted by The Emergency Group. A Country Manager coordinated the training while other facilitators came from overseas. I was the Country Manager’s equal. Together, we conducted a total of twenty nine training programmes, ranging from senior officers to recruits. Some of the courses conducted were: Information Based Decision Making For Executives, Advance Facilitation, Curriculum Design, Kidnapping, Crises Intervention, Cultivating Informants, Gathering Intelligence, Delivering Quality Service, Development of a Case File, Drug Identification and Investigation, Personality Profile, Effective Investigation, Effective Dealing with People, Policing Multi Cultural and Diverse Communities, Training Evaluation, Interviewing Witnesses, Interrogating Suspects, Mentoring, Case Management, Crime Scene Management. Emotional Intelligence, Self Esteem, Anger Management, Human Rights and Effective Communication.
These courses were conceptualised, designed, developed, implemented and evaluated after intensive discussions were conducted countrywide with members of the GPF, members of the public, politicians from both sides of the political divide, experienced adult educators and employing international best practices. The Programme had a trainer-of-trainers component embedded within. That is to say, for each training course, participants were trained to teach the course. Instead of sending the police to America for training, we brought America here. During the training, the Bank sent one of its Vice-Presidents with responsibility for the Caribbean and South America to Guyana to do an evaluation of the training. She gave a thumbs up for the training. After the completion of the training, the Bank contracted Professor Dr. Mark Kirton who, at the time, was attached to the University of West Indies (Trinidad) to evaluate the training. He gave us an excellent review. Of all the components of the Citizens Security Programme, the One Year Comprehensive Training Programme was the most successful.
As the Force Training Officer I started the process to replicate and sustain the training conducted by TEG. After I demitted office, Paul Williams did some training, but he was given a basket to fetch water. Assistant Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, succeeded Williams, but instead of carrying out the training, he introduced five programmes which he called core courses. ‘They all have major flaws. The objectives are not SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. The course contents in many cases did not support the objectives. The methodology appeared to be designed for chalk and talk, which is not suited for andragogy, as adults learn better when training is conducted using various methods of instructions including the Multisensory Principle. Snr..Superintendent Fizal Karimbaksh, who succeeded Hicken, did not conduct any TEG training. The present Force Training Officer, Superintendent, Shivpersaud Bacchus, is very knowledgeable in Information Technology. He had extensive training in that area in India, but he lacks knowledge in general policing.
In conclusion, I again urge the police to stop nibbling around the edges of training. Piecemeal training will only produce piecemeal results. What is required is a holistic approach towards training. Among other training, the police must replicate and sustain the training which was conducted by The Emergence Group. The watch word is sustainability. Instructors and participants’ manuals, both hard and electronic copies are available. Additionally, trained facilitators within the GPF and retired officers are available to conduct the training. However, the retirees may be wary that if they conduct the training and receives a stipend for their work, SOCU may give them a phantom charge for conspiracy to defraud like they did to Paul Slowe, Clinton Conway and other senior retired police officers. The training will influence the police to behave in a professional and accountable manner, and to deliver the highest quality of service to the citizens they swore to serve and protect, thereby, promoting public confidences in the GPF which is sadly lacking as stated in a recent report by USAID. May God bless the Guyana Police Force.
Sincerely,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d)
