As part of the overhauling of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), some 50 ranks will receive training from the Scottish Police Academy, which is in keeping with the government’s efforts to improve professionalism in service delivery.
It is also in keeping with the revised Guyana Police Force Strategic Plan 2022-2026.
Deputy Commissioner of Police for ‘Administration,’ Calvin Brutus made the disclosure at the opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference, Thursday morning.
The deputy commissioner said this is the first time in the force’s history, many of its members are being exposed to professional and skilled training programmes.
“The administration of the force is currently engaging officials of the Scottish Police College to train 50 members of the organisation on an accelerated one-year degree programme in police management and in other specialised areas related to law enforcement. It is anticipated that this training will commence by the middle of this year, ”Brutus relayed.
The senior officer also revealed that 33 members of the force are currently on an internationally recognised police transformation programme through the United Kingdom.
The force has signed 17 Memorandums of Agreement with various educational institutions, to develop the capacity of its human resources in various areas, including aeronautical engineering, medicine and gender-based violence.
“Subsequent to those agreements between the force and various tertiary institutions, several members of the force access training in several disciplines, pertinent to law enforcement…all sponsored by the Guyana Police Force and by extension, the Government of Guyana,” he disclosed. Senior officers and police ranks are also undergoing training in countries such as Jamaica, Russia, and India, among others.
Meanwhile, in September 2022, the Felix Austin Police College was renamed the Guyana Police Force Academy.
“This is not merely a name change but rather an overhauling of the governance structure, placing them into various schools, redesigning and upgrading the police entrance examination,” he stated.
The academy will be open to training law enforcement officials from across the Caribbean at a cost to make the agency self-sufficient.
The opening of the three-day session was attended by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and other members of the Cabinet, Senior members of the Judiciary and Police Force, and Diplomatic Corps.
