166 cops trained to handle domestic violence reports
…issue continues to be a serious social threat – acting Top Cop
One hundred and sixty-six Police officers from seven policing divisions across the country are now better equipped to handle domestic violence reports after successfully completing a Domestic Violence Scenario Training Workshop.
Police ranks who were trained to handle domestic violence cases share a photo moment with Jamaican consultant Novelette Grant and Khemraj Ramjattan, along with senior members of the GPF
The training sessions were part of the Public Security Ministry’s Security Sector Reform Programme and were spearheaded by Novelette Grant, consultant and former Deputy Police Commissioner of the Jamaican Police Force.
She stated that the aim of the training workshop was to advance the skills of mid-career Policemen and Policewomen so that they would be in better positions to deal with domestic violence issues and impart that knowledge to their peers at the various Police stations throughout the country.
Acting Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie emphasised that domestic violence continues to be a serious social threat, and is everybody’s business— since it affects everyone at all levels of society.
Meanwhile, Project Manager of the Citizen Security Strategy Programme (CSSP), Dr Clement Henry reiterated that the CSSP focuses heavily on violence and crime reduction in Guyana.
The cost of violence, he said, is tremendous, since, when calculated for the year 2017, it amounted to over a billion Guyana dollars. As a result, “programmes are being put in place to eliminate risk factors in the home, community and at societal levels in a whole”.
He stated that currently, under construction are domestic violence interview rooms and child-friendly spaces at Police stations— another initiative by the CSSP to work together with the Guyana Police Force in combatting domestic violence in Guyana.
Additionally, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan commended the planning team and Director of the Training Workshop for executing a programme of such calibre and lauded the participants for ensuring that they were a part of this necessary training programme.
He expressed his concerns for the issue of domestic violence to be addressed, since statistics reveal that Guyanese women are suffering at the hands of men both physically, emotionally, and economically.
Meanwhile, certificates were presented to all 166 officers for completing the programme, as they were challenged and admonished to return to the fields with better knowledge and competence to help combat domestic violence within their divisions.
