BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Training for additional members of the Compliance and Quarantine Task Force got underway at the Police Training School on February 22.
About 30 trainees are participating in the two-week training course. It is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Sessions will cover a variety of topics including the Quarantine Act, customer service, report writing, giving evidence, self-defence and use of force, ethics in law enforcement, risk management and managing quarantine sites.
Force Personnel Officer, Clifford Govia, explained to the participants that National Security is the primary responsibility of the government and that it is part of the government’s mandate to keep people safe.
“The concept of National Security has expanded. Now we are talking about a pandemic,” said Govia. “As a result, it was necessary to recruit people to help the government enforce the laws put in place to address the situation.
“In the process of doing this, safety has to be the priority,” he said. “Not only the safety of the people you are working with, but we’re talking about your own personal safety,” said Govia. “You need to adhere strictly to the protocols in place as well. You know hand sanitising, social and distancing. That is critical, a part of the job, obviously, is customer service. That involves being able to speak to people in a courteous manner and, just as important, being able to listen to people when they are trying to explain certain things.”
Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy explained that the intention is to eventually replace Police Officers, some of whom were still carrying out such duties, with civilians. He said it is important to utilise all available officers to address some of the offences that are still posing a challenge. He encouraged the participants to do their best and warned them that the course was not going to be easy.
“It’s not just two weeks of relaxing,” explained Commissioner Brady. “It will be two weeks of intense training. You have to keep your head on and do your best. Everybody will not be at the top of the class, but I hope at the end when I return here in the next two weeks, that I hear from the commander that all persons are successful in passing this training.”
At the end of the course, individuals who successfully complete the programme will either be posted at quarantine sites as security personnel, or they will assist with ensuring compliance with the health protocols that were established last year.
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