Continuous training equips police for challenges

Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): Commissioner of Police Celvin G. Walwyn has assured the public that efforts will continue to upgrade the skills and expertise of local law enforcement in order to better serve the population.

“We have constantly been training since 2011,” he told graduates of a Crime Scene First Responders which was attended by persons from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and host St. Kitts and Nevis. “… We are constantly training because we believe in improving what we do and learning as much as we can so we can deliver a better product to the community that we serve.”

In addition to the training of police recruits currently ongoing, the staff at the Police Training Complex has been kept busy coordinating courses in basic computer operations, basic bicycle patrol, drug enforcement administration and others.

Commissioner Walwyn thanked the personnel at the complex noting that they have been working extra hours to ensure each course is carried out as seamlessly as possible. He explained that this commitment will be needed moving forward.

“We are going to be the litmus test for what training is about in the Eastern Caribbean,” he stressed. “… Last year, we trained persons from six different countries in the OECS in homicide investigations so this (crime scene course) is just another example of how St. Kitts and Nevis is reaching out to the region to make sure the training that is needed is provided.”

In 2013, the trend of falling crime in the Federation continued with a decrease of 15.3 percent. This is one area where the authorities feel the increase in training is reflected.

“We will continue to do this by ensuring that our officers are [prepared for the job] and any country in the Eastern Caribbean that wants to send their officers here, we will accept them to be part of whatever training that we provide.”