St. Kitts and Nevis gets Canadian help in redrafting Police Training School curriculum and EU assistance for Center of Excellence

File photo of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas addressing the rank and file of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, OCTOBER 2ND 2012 (CUOPM) – The Government of Canada is assisting the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis through its bilateral relations in redrafting a new curriculum for the Police Training School at Pond’s Pasture in East Basseterre.

This has been disclosed by Permanent Secretary for the Anti-Crime Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, Her Excellency Mrs. Astona Browne, who further stated that with the assistance of the European Union, a Center of Excellence is being designed to be constructed in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We were cognizant of the need to ensure that our standards and the information disseminated are current and can prepare the officers to deal with the new and emerging trends in criminalities. We were equally cognizant of the imperative to keep abreast of the new and emerging technologies in fighting crime and in managing our law enforcement agencies in a manner that we remain relevant in addressing the challenges with which they are confronted,” she told the opening session of a meeting of the Regional Security System (RSS) Training Institute Practice Committee at the Bird Rock Beach Hotel.

Mrs. Browne said that the Center of Excellence to be constructed in the Federation will have the capacity to accommodate regional training.

“This will be constructed with the assistance of the European Union under the 10th EDF Programme. The leadership taken by the RSS in the training and certification of the law enforcement personnel with the assistance of the Government of Canada is a step in the right direction and will bring about the uniformity that is critical to standardization process,” said Mrs. Browne.

She added that St. Kitts and Nevis is pleased to be part of this process and will also recommend some decentralization in accommodation and use of the state of the art facility that will be constructed in the months ahead.

File photo of Caribbean police commissioners at a meeting in St. Kitts

“We are also building capacity in areas of crime scene processing and would want to offer our capabilities as part of the regional curriculum that will be developed for use at the RSS Training Institute. It is about partnership at all levels and we would be pleased for this to be placed on your agenda for consideration as you, as Members of the Practice Committee, progress with your work this week,” said Mrs. Browne.

She expressed appreciation to the Government of Canada who availed the services of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, working in partnership with the RSS to first of all embark on this critical review of police training capabilities throughout the region, with a view to developing the modern training modules for use in the Member States in the Eastern Caribbean.

“Indeed the new training modules and certification will be in keeping with the thrust of the provisions of the Treaty of Basseterre that created the new Economic Union, with its emphasis on harmonization of policies and commitment to joint undertakings. The continued support for project such as this is critical and must be sustained,” said Mrs. Browne.

“The many areas for which we have developed cooperation over the years, speak to the close and strong ties that exist between the Governments of Canada and the RSS member states and is testimony of an enduring commitment that is manifested in the thrust of the Meeting. I would like at this juncture to express appreciation to the RSS for the leadership role that it continues to play in coordinating the regional security agenda for the Member States of the Eastern Caribbean. I would also like to make mention of the commitment of Mr. Grantley Watson and his team for the contribution made over the years in managing the work of this Institution,” said Mrs. Browne.

She added that the Region understands well enough that the whole issue of public security requires the shared partnership of all concerned.

“The interest of our traditional and non-traditional partners on this all important matter of safety and security cannot be over emphasized. It is imperative that we endeavour to cope with the reality that changing cultural values significantly impact the current crime trends in our Region. More than ever before, we have come to appreciate the need for increased interdependence among the Member States of the international community (and especially of our own Region) in addressing transnational crime in all its forms,” Permanent Secretary Browne said.