National Security Minister Condor submits training initiative to Cabinet

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Sam Condor

ST. KITTS, JANUARY 11TH 2011 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of National Security, Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Sam Condor, has presented an initiative to Cabinet for the standardization and improvement in the training of police officers, not only in St. Kitts and Nevis, but the sub-region and the establishment of a RSS Law Enforcement Institute to be headquartered in St. Kitts.

Minister Condor, the Federation’s Deputy Prime Minister, invited to Cabinet on Monday a team of persons from the Regional Security System (RSS) to make a presentation which involved his ministry’s initiative to play a lead role in the standardization and improvement of the training of police officers in St. Kitts and Nevis and the entire RSS region.

Members of the visiting delegation included Brantley Watson – Coordinator of the RSS; Her Excellency Ruth Archibald, High Commissioner of Canada to St. Kitts and Nevis based in Barbados and Commander Tyrone James, RSS Technical Officer for Training. The local complement were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mrs. Astona Browne; Acting Commissioner of Police, Stafford Liburd and Assistant Commissioners, Joseph Richardson and Ian Queeley.

The RSS having done, with the financial assistance of the Canadian government, an assessment of the training programmes for police within RSS countries, presented an overview of its assessment.

“The conclusion was that there was generally a lack of proper standards, facilities and programmes in all member countries – St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” said the post Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.

It documented the pledge of St. Kitts and Nevis to play a lead role, therefore, in creating an RSS Law Enforcement Institute to help develop and promulgate effective standards, programmes and facilities for the training of law enforcement officers.

“Under the proposed arrangement, training of lower level officers will take place in-country but will be standardized across the region. Training for higher level officers will be centralized or regionalized and is likely to be headquartered in St. Kitts and Nevis at the planned new training facility for the police,” said the post Cabinet Briefing.

It disclosed that the new training programme is projected to result in the improved training and performance of police officers, an increase in public confidence in law enforcement, a greater sense of shared responsibility among all stakeholders and a greater sense of ownership by members of the force.

The RSS team will make a similar presentation to other cabinets in the region, having started their tour in St. Kitts and Nevis.