The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), in an effort to tackle the incidence of sexual offences on the island, concluded two weeks of training, consisting of 27 female members (of various ranks) in the constabulary.
The seminar was conducted at the police training school, under the theme “empowering police women in the workplace”. According to a media release from the police public relations department, the training exercise showcased the commitment of the RSVG Police Force in ensuring, that female police officers are equipped with the requisite skills needed, to perform efficiently in their various departments and stations.
The course sensitized each participant to the sensitive nature of sexual offences focusing on topics which were designed to produce an acute awareness of the officer’s ability to investigate these crimes as well as to ensure the emotional well being of the victim.
Delivering the keynote address at the closing ceremony Assistant Commissioner of Police Frankie Joseph, emphasized the importance of the training and urged the graduates to always be opened minded when dealing with victims of sexual offences.
He also advise the officers not to be judgmental by blaming the victim but must rather entertain the report, investigate the matter thoroughly, and gather the relevant evidence to successfully prosecute the offender(s).
The Assistant Commissioner also stressed on the importance of giving proper evidence in the courts. He pointed to the fact that any police officer can conduct an excellent investigation and prepare the best case-file; but on the day in court, if one fail to introduce the evidence to convince the magistrate, the jury or the judge, the hard work that was put into investigating the report will be futile.
Also delivering remarks was course coordinator, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Trevor Bailey who championed the success of the course, which he said produced 100 percent passes.
