Prosecutor course for Sgts. to improve courtroom success

This evening, fifteen police officers received certificates after successfully completing a prosecutor’s course designed to improve courtroom success. The participants are expected to complement the department’s badly understaffed prosecution branch. The intensive two-week course included lessons in report writing, presenting evidence, exhibit identification, preparing for court, and bail and jurisdiction procedures. During the ceremony, Head of Eastern Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries told participants much is expected of them.

A.C.P. Crispin Jeffries, Head, Eastern Division
?Some of you may graduate to the post of a full prosecutor, but all of you, without a doubt will have the opportunity to?in the words of a very, very renowned former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Carmen Zetina, you will float or sink, but you will go to court. It is not if, it is when. And that is not a threat; it is a need to test your will to use these skills that were afforded you.?

?While we are challenged by the human resource needs of our department, while we see that the police department is shrinking in numbers, we believe that a leaner organisation better trained can just be as operationally effective as one with large cumbersome numbers.?

Sgt. Alvin Neal, Course Participant
?Yes, I would say it was rather intensive. It dealt with a lot of issues affecting us to date to a certain extent. We are dealing with levels at the Magistrate?s Court in respect to evidence accepted in court, how to give evidence, the chain of custody as it relates to exhibits. It dealt with I.D. parades among other things.?

Jacqueline Woods
?So this is definitely something you would like to pursue??

Sgt. Alvin Neal
?Definitely; it is a prosecutor?s course and it is geared towards professionalism. Not that at this moment there aren?t professionals in the department, but we want to enhance that professionalism.?

Det. Sgt. Carla Reynolds?Gamboa, Course Participant
?Well it is expected of us, but we will need to have more of this course. As I am telling you, it is a wide field and it?s not a one-day or two-week course and you can say that it is completed, because everyday different things happen in life, or probably a case that you are not familiar with. But by educating yourself or probably through these courses will definitely assist you in prosecution of cases in court.?

The course was facilitated by Magistrates Harry Hulett, Sharon Fraser, Margaret McKenzie, and Director of Public Prosecutions Kirk Anderson.