Dear Editor,
I perused an article in Stabroek News, July 23, 2022 entitled, `Felix Austin Police College name change planned since last year.’ I believe the missive was a response to a letter to the Editor written by my colleague Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe questioning the proposed change of name from Felix Austin Police College to the Police Academy. I rush to support Slowe.
According to the statement from Mark Ramotar, head of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF’s) Corporate Communications Unit, “It is part of the strategic plan of the Guyana Police Force to have a Police Academy so when Brutus and the University of Guyana signed the five year agreement, and part of that agreement is to ensure that the Police Academy is accredited.” This statement is very instructive. Let me be pellucid. The Guyana Police Force does not have a well documented 2022/2026 Strategic Management Plan as is being propagated by Clifton Hicken and Calvin Brutus. I challenge them to make it public or quietly show me a copy of the plan.
Back to Ramotar’s statement. The statement begs many burning questions. What consultations were done in arriving with the change of name? Was the general membership of the Police Association, Police Officers’ Association, Association of Former Members of the Guyana Police Force, Police Women Association and others consulted? What really is the GPF brand of accreditation? Is it just to improve the qualification of the instructors of the College with a certificate from the University of Guyana? What are the standards and the milestones to be achieved? Why not seek accreditation with the world-renowned organisation CALEA. CALEA sets the goal standards as it relates to accreditation. It will be challenging, but there are tremendous benefits to be gained with seeking accreditation with CALEA. More about accreditation, some challenges and the benefits of accreditation in a subsequent article.
In this instant case, changing the name from the Felix Austin Police College to the Police Academy is cosmetic and meaningless. Name change is not synonymous with positive fundamental impacts on products or projects. Rather than changing the name, the focus must be better placed on providing a higher quality of sustained service by members of the Force at all levels to the public they swore to serve and protect and fostering better community oriented policing and problem solving (COPPS). This will also promote much lacking public confidence in the Force and ultimately maintain the rich history of the Guyana Police Force.
May God help the Guyana Police Force.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of
Police
(Retired)
