Retired Asst. Police Commissioner offers advice

Jan 22, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
It is public knowledge that the police have reduced the duration of their recruit training course from six months to sixteen weeks. I am not certain what were the circumstances that led to the reduction or who initiated that abbreviation. The vexed question is – are we sacrificing quality for quantity?
My last check with the major police forces across the Caribbean disclosed that their recruit training last for not less than six months. My groundings with Dr. Carl Williams, Commissioner of Police of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and some members of his high command revealed that their training last for six months. In their recruitment process applicants are subjected to polygraph testing. In addition, the aspirants are taken to assessment centers where trained assessors conduct a series of exercises or events to check for attitudes and behaviour including psychological behaviour. An applicant may be a graduate from UWI, or possesses ten CXC grade1s, be physically fit and has no criminal record but he may display psychopathic behaviour. If he fails the assessment he will be denied entry into the JCF.
Back to Guyana . According to the police there are over 1,200 applicants awaiting to be inducted in the force. Apart from looking for academic achievement, physical fitness and criminal record the police must evaluate for attitude and behaviour. They will have less person joining the force but better quality of inductees into their system.
I scanned the recruit training programme. It has four modules. It is lavish in technical skills but tight fisted in people’s skills. Very little is there in the training programme to develop or enhance people skills. I am aware that ranks must be technically competent to perform their roles as specified under Section 3 (2) of the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and those imposed on them by society. They must be au fait with the laws, police duties, policies and procedures but equally important they must develop people’s skills. Those are interpersonal- people- management-skills that is required to help them to effectively deal with people and to understand and adapt to the changing environment.
Under the leadership of Commission of Police, Seelall Persaud, the paradigm has shifted sharply towards Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS). The police are now required not only to solve crimes but to solve problems in the various communities they serve and protect. This approach is bearing fruits and will continue to do so. Ranks are required to interact with various groups of stakeholders. They interact with their superiors, peers, subordinates, friends, relatives and members of the public. Understanding of behaviour is of extreme importance.
According to Harold C Russell and Allan Beigel behaviour is the major phenomenon that the police officer must deal with. He must not only deal with the behaviour of criminals, but also the behaviour of the general public, the behaviour of his family and his own behaviour. He can no longer regard the study of behaviour as the sole concern of the psychologist and psychiatrist. He must learn more about behaviour and the behavioral science to effectively and safely carry out his job.
The police must ensure that their members are effective communicators, be better able to manage conflicts- Do you resolve conflict through the barrel of a gun, or assaulting unarmed peaceful protesters, or whip women and children deep in the Maroudi mountains or resorting to the 4B approach – boots, baton, bayonet and bullet? Be culture sensitive – we are one people, one nation, one destiny, but we have different cultures even in the working environment. Be able to police a multi – cultural and diverse society. Be multi- lingual – proficient in English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and computer.  Possess a high self- esteem; manage emotional intelligence; think critically ;  develop skills; be able to apply knowledge ; have the capacity to act; be able to comprehend; develop solid academic base – reading and numeracy and develop the ability to research and analyse.  All of the above and many more must be common attributes of a policeman’s operational life and can be address through training.
I have not yet analysed the methodology and assessment of the training. Despite numerous human and other challenges, the performance of the police over the last few months has been audacious. There is need for sustainability to cater for greater public confidence in the force. I again make a clarion call for a Behavioural  Science Unit to be established in the Guyana Police Force or make one available to them.
If behaviour at all levels in the force is not adequately addressed the performance of the police will be prosaic.
Clinton Conway
Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police

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