RECRUIT TRAINING IN PROGRESS AT POLICE ACADEMY

The Royal St. Lucia Police Force Academy has yet again embarked on the training of another batch of recruits. This training programme, Course 27, is a historical course in many ways. It is the first time in the history of the institution that sixty five (65) persons are being recruited at any one time. A record number of twenty six (26) females are among those training. The course officially commenced on the 5th of December 2005, and was suspended on the 16th of December 2005. During those two weeks, the recruits were exposed to some basic skills necessary to function effectively while they partnered their senior colleagues during the busy Christmas season. They were deployed proportionately in the towns and the City of Castries, to augment the police presence in these areas during the festive season.

The recruits’ stay in the field was unfortunately extended by one week to facilitate the completion of the facility to house the increased number of females. The training resumed on Monday the 30th of January 2006, and will run until July of 2006.

The Mission of the Academy is “to produce a skilled, courteous and reliable police officer who is committed to satisfying the Mission of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.” Bearing this in mind, the training curriculum was designed to fulfill that mandate. The programme is divided into three main stages, the Elementary, Intermediate and the Final. Each stage is further broken down into modules which cover all police duty subjects. Also included in the curriculum, are musketry training, drills and physical training. The flexible programme also provides recruits training in some management areas such as leadership and decision making. Other areas include: Psychology, Language and Communication, First Aid and Communication with the Hearing impaired.

The Commandant and his team are committed towards the Force’s mission through the quality of police officers who graduate from the Academy.