Several officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday graduated from the first-ever Senior Middle Managers Course facilitated by the Guyana Police Force Academy, a GPF release announced yesterday.
It explained that the Senior Middle Managers Course, which is designed to equip senior middle managers of the Force with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the evolving challenges of modern policing, was successfully completed by seven Deputy Superintendents from diverse professional and policing backgrounds.
The seven Deputy Superintendents who participated in the programme are Mohamed Ally, Ronald Alli, Elton Davidson, Clifton Davis, James Tappin, Phiona Harris, and Javon Hamer.
The course which commenced on April 22 and lasted for 12 weeks, exposed the participants to a number of modules geared at enhancing their effectiveness and efficiency in maintaining public safety, upholding the rule of law, crime-fighting strategies, community policing, technological integration, and ethical considerations, all to better aid in the facilitation of activities necessary for the conduct of duties on a day-to-day basis.
It is also aimed to enhance the officers’ understanding of contemporary crime trends and the dynamics of modern criminal behaviour, effective crime prevention and intervention strategies, community partnerships, enhancing public trust and cooperation, and the critical role of integrating technology and data analytics into policing practices and addressing ethical and legal issues in modern policing.
According to the release, the modules covered during the course’s twelve-week period included a wide range of topics. Specifically, 1) Introduction to contemporary policing; 2) Overview of modern policing challenges; 3) Historical context and evolution of policing strategies; 4) Crime analysis and prevention; 5) Crime trend analysis and forecasting; 6) Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED); 7) Community-oriented policing and problem-solving techniques; 8) Community policing and engagement; 9) Building community partnerships; 10) Strategies for effective community engagement; 11) Addressing community-specific issues and concerns; 12) Use of data analytics and intelligence-led policing; 13) Technology in policing; 14) Cybercrime; 15) Implementing body-worn cameras and other surveillance technologies; 16) Ethical and legal considerations; 17) Police ethics and professional conduct; 18) Legal frameworks governing police operations; 19) Human rights and use-of-force policies; 20) Leadership and management in policing; 21) Leadership theories and styles in law enforcement; 22) Strategic planning and resource management; and 23) Crisis management and decision-making.
It is the GPF’s expectation that the course will enhance the participants’ understanding of contemporary crime trends and the dynamics of modern criminal behaviour, effective crime prevention and intervention strategies, community partnerships, enhancing public trust and cooperation, and the critical role of integrating technology and data analytics into policing practices and addressing ethical and legal issues in modern policing.
As part of the assessment method, the officers were required to submit regular essays and reports on contemporary policing issues. These practical exercises included simulations and role-playing scenarios to apply learned strategies and collaborative projects to develop community policing initiatives.
Meanwhile, Harris topped the course, taking both the Valedictorian and Best Academic Paper awards, while Ally and Alli were awarded the second and third runner-up awards, respectively.
Also in attendance at the graduation ceremony which took place at the Guyana Police Force Academy, Georgetown Campus, were the Director of the GPF Academy, Woman Superintendent Sonia Herbert; Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Superintendent Stephen Telford, and other officers of the Force, the release added.
