Police officers trained as trainers
Nearly every study ever conducted on the Belize Police Department has stressed the need for improved training at every level…and there are signs that those recommendations are being heeded. Last week we visited a course on crime scene management conducted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yesterday News 5’s Marion Ali sat in on the end of a four week session in which our officers are being trained to take over the training themselves.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The eighteen officers ranged in rank from constable to inspector and were selected according to their role in the department. The sessions, aimed at bringing new teaching methods to the department, have been taking place at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan. Facilitators Neil Lamputt and Jon Yabsley were provided through the British High Commission’s office.
Jon Yabsley, Course Facilitator
“Traditionally, police training has been very knowledge based. It’s dealt with the law, it’s dealt with definitions, and it’s dealt with knowledge. What we’ve brought is a change and we call it KUSAB. And that is that all police training should involve knowledge, but a deep understand of that knowledge. The S stands for skills, the A for attitude and the B for behaviour. And it’s the last three, skills, attitude and behaviour that we’ve really push because it’s great to have police officers who are knowledgeable, but if those officers haven’t got the skills, the positive attitude and the correct behaviour to implement that knowledge, then you have a police force that will be in clash with the community.”
And what do the participants think about the training?
Insp. Linden Flowers, Patrol Branch
“It’s very important to have different skills in dealing with citizens. Our business is people, guiding them, making arrests, and dealing with fellow people from across the country and a wide range of nationals that we have in the country today. And even our very own local Belizeans, we have to understand their feelings and ideas, whether they be a victim or a perpetrator of a crime.”
P.C. Marva Hewlett, Zone Beat Liaison Unit
“I’m in the job for one year, so it develops my knowledge of being a good police officer. How to carry out my job as a Zone Beat Liaison Officer, and how to speak to the children at school, because my job is going to the schools and speak to the kids about different activities and different crimes.”
As for Inspector Roy Joseph, Deputy Commandant of the Training Academy, the training could not have been more timely.
Insp. Roy Joseph, Dep. Commandant, Police Academy
“We have a lot of people who might be knowledgeable, but we have reviewed, based on past performance and we have decided to take it a little further. We need to get down and to understand exactly how the people we deal with feel and how they think, so as to try and better the service we offer.”
Joseph says the officers will be assessed by their superiors to ensure that they apply what they have learned. The facilitators will close off today by holding individual sessions with the participants. Marion Ali for News 5.
