Executive Management and Leadership Course
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
January 25, 2009 (CUOPM)
Over 160 police officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force have been trained with the assistance of the Government of Canada, Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has disclosed.
Dr. Douglas, who assumed the National Security portfolio last August, noted that the conceptualisation of the Law Enforcement Training Assistance Project in collaboration with the Government of Canada dates back to his encounter over two years ago with the new Barbados-based Canadian High Commissioner to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency David Marshall “who was not only receptive to an urgent request for assistance with our national efforts to reduce the incidence of crime but who pointed us to the source for accessing the requisite funding, a total of $370,000 CAN, which to date has provided training for over 167 security officers.
“This represents 42 percent of the Force to date. This is a significant achievement in our capacity building and resource development thrust for the Force,” said Prime Minister Douglas at the closing session of the training programme, who noted that it was the second course for police officers in as many weeks conducted through the Canadian-Caribbean Cooperation Fund (CCCF).
He noted that the one-week Senior Executive Management and Leadership Course for the top brass of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is designed to build capacity of the members of the Force to enable them to execute their responsibility as representatives of the principal Law Enforcement Agency in the Federation.
The Law Enforcement Training Assistance Programme will focus on several areas including Strategic Management and Leadership, Productivity, Basic Crime Scene Management, Security of Recreational and Tourism Facilities, Curriculum Review, Succession Planning, Organisational/structural review and Intelligence Gathering through Community Policing.
“My Government will continue to deliver on its commitment to invest in the national security mechanism being fully aware of the need to develop the strategic partnership for more effective service,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who noted that his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government is cognisant of the fact that as the global developments introduce a new wave of criminal activities, the environment in which police serve has changed and will continue to do so.
“You must therefore be sensitive to the emerging new threats and prepare yourselves to confront the many developments that threaten safety and security in order that your crime fighting strategies can remain relevant as law enforcement officers,” said Dr. Douglas, who congratulated the members of the High Command of the Royal and St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force for not only participating in but successfully completing this management course.
Prime Minister Douglas thanked the Government of Canada for understanding the need for training and for its support in availing the necessary assistance to prepare the officers to confront the current challenges that threaten global, regional and national security.
“The ultimate delivery of this Executive Management and Leadership Course therefore represents, for me, the fulfillment of a commitment and a dedication to a common good but more importantly, the strengthening of the security mechanism, which is critical to us in preparing the top management of the Police Force for the task of implementing Government’s zero tolerance policy,” said Dr. Douglas.