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The necessity of “Peoples Skills” in police training

Aug 11, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Congratulations for the Guyana Police Force for graduating 203 recruits at a passing out parade recently. Effective planning and execution had to come into play for the GPF to conduct a single graduation ceremony for recruits from the Richard Fikal Police College- Essequibo, the Felix Austin Police College – Georgetown and the Felix Austin Police College-Berbice.
On August 03, 2016 both Kaieteur News and Stabroek News carried articles indicating that over 200 young men and women embarked on police training. I am happy to note that there will be many more boots of various sizes on the ground to focus on the fight to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Kaieteur News July 23, 2016 reported that the training lasted for four months. I still believe that a four months’ training programme is too short. In another article, I will elaborate. Kaieteur News also posited that Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud, DSM told the graduants that the toughest thing to do in time is to deal with people. The top cop is right. That is a significant statement. The commissioner should know, as under his leadership the paradigm has shifted towards the police being more community – oriented and problem solvers.
His ranks are required to interact more with the various communities not only to solve crimes but problems. In addition, ranks are required to deal with their superiors, peers, subordinates, members of the public, friends and family. As part of the Community Crime and Violence Prevention Component of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) funded by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) the police must network with members of various multi-cultural and diverse communities. In order for the police to effectively do so and carry out their mandate as set out in section 3 (2 ) of the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and what is imposed on them by society, they must among other things be well grounded in people skills, hence, the need to develop skills to deal with people.
I had a look at the recruit training programme. It is inadequate to induct recruits into the GPF and to prepare them for their role in a new and changing environment. In addition, it is lavish in technical skills but tight- fisted in people skills. It should be the other way around. Technical competence – knowledge of the law, police practice and procedure – is required in order for the police to perform their duties. However, people skills are critically important.
People skills are the interpersonal attributes that help employees to deal with people and to understand and adapt to the changing environment. Technical skills used to be the most important. Now and in years to come people skills are most important.
People skills fit nicely into UNESCO’S imperatives for learning. They are – Learn to Live Together, Learn To Be, Learn To Do, and Learn To Learn. Coming out of those four pillars are training areas that can positively impact on police training, more so recruit training.
Let me mention a few: Communication, anger management, conflict resolution. Do you resolve conflict through the barrel of a gun? Do you resort to the 4B approach – boots, baton, bayonet and bullet? Policing a multi cultural and diverse society, effective investigation, effective policing, effectively dealing with people, human rights, multi- lingual, self esteem, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, cultural awareness, capacity to act, ability to apply knowledge, sound academic base- reading and numeracy, comprehension, ability to research and analyze.
Presently the police performance is remarkable in terms of solving serious crimes. It must be sustained. An important strategy to ensure sustainability is by embedding people skills in the minds of members of the GPF in all divisions and branches and among the various rank structures using UNESCO’S  Learning Imperatives as a guide. To do otherwise will cause the performance of the force to be prosaic.
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police (retired)

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