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1600 cops trained to deal with domestic violence matters
Kaieteur News
By Shervin Belgrave
A group of ranks posing in front of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) training centre (Photo Credit: GPF)
Minister of Human Services and Social Protection, Dr. Vindhya Persaud on Thursday said that, to date, 1600 policemen have been trained to deal with domestic violence cases under the COPSQUAD 2000 initiative.
In August 2021, Dr. Persaud launched the COPSQUAD 2000 initiative, a programme with the objective to equip 2000 police ranks with the requisite knowledge and skills to investigate DV matters and properly protect the victims.
During an interview with an online programme called the Guyana Dialogue, Dr. Persaud related that 1600 policemen have already completed the needed training.
“So an initiative was launched also last year, the COPSQUAD initiative, this one I conceptualised looking at 2000 policemen so it’s called COPSQUAD 2000 initiative, training 2000 policemen in the force and we have completed training 2000 of those (policemen),” Persaud said.
She noted that one of the “biggest bugbears” that country has in fighting domestic violence, child abuse and abuse of the elderly has always been “the police and how they deal with people.”
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud
Kaieteur News too, for many years, had received reports of domestic violence victims complaining of unprofessional and insensitive conduct of some police ranks while taking their reports. Among the allegations are instances where abused men were mocked, and instead of rescuing battered women, some would be sent back to their homes where the abuser can attack again.
The training received by the 1600 policemen, according to Persaud, is for them to deal in a professional way with those who make reports, to write good case reports and to have insight and full knowledge of the legislation dealing with domestic violence matters.
Persaud added that ranks must be able to exercise the best practice when dealing with any case of domestic violence.
In order to ensure that ranks are adhering to the best practices and for the force to better its response to such cases, Dr. Persaud pointed out that public feedback on their experiences at police stations is necessary.
Once the feedback is available, the ministry will be able to conduct analysis for guidance in determining the best way forward for a more comprehensive response to domestic violence matters.
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