By Devina Samaroo
At the age of 15, Gladwin Telston Hanover was forced to drop out of school to help take care of his family.
At the time, he was attending the Richard Ishmael Secondary School, with hopeful dreams of becoming a police officer, just like his dad.
But as he got older, those dreams slowly began drifting away, as Hanover became saddled with life’s various responsibilities.
Hanover grew up in Ann’s Grove, a peaceful little village on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). He had seven siblings; two brothers and five sisters. Life was not always easy.
His father migrated with the intention of trying to provide a better life for his family. But things did not go as planned.
It was at this point that Hanover dropped out of school and opened a game shop.
“Whilst taking care of my siblings, I learnt to be responsible at a very young age. My main responsibility was to help them to achieve their goal,” he explained during an interview with Times Sunday Magazine.
“Ever since, I have developed a desire to help other young people to realise their goals. I love helping others. I think above all things that’s what I love doing the most.”
Police dreams
“When I see a policeman on the road, I would always say that’s me, that’s me!” Hanover reminisced, noting that his nickname growing up was “Police”.
His father, prior to migrating, was a police officer. He resigned as a Constable.
“I remember telling him that ‘daddy I want to be a police like you’, he replied to me saying ‘don’t be a police like me, I come off as a constable, be ten times better than me’,” Hanover explained.
However, Hanover found employment as a security driver at MMC, instead of pursuing his dreams.
After one year, he became a taxi driver, then a minibus conductor, a minibus driver and a miner.
“I was heading further away from my dream than closer,” he explained.
According to Hanover, the circumstances were just never right.
“At first, it was a time where police were being killed regularly and my parents had fear that it would have happened to me.”
Eventually, Hanover wrote the police exam and on May 2, 2013, he was enlisted into the Guyana Police Force.
He explained that the police took a chance on him, while he had nothing, and for that, he will forever be grateful.
“Because it’s this job that pulled my life together. The discipline, the dedication, and the determination were developed there.”
Hanover was attached to the Richard Faikall Police College where he underwent his initial police training.
During training, he was recognised for his maturity, leadership skills and command and control abilities.
As such, he was retained to perform duties at the College.
And so began his policing career, as an instructor at the College and at the same time, he was in charge of the Zara Computer Centre at the College, where they have trained hundreds of persons in foundation and advanced computer skills, as well as PC repairs and maintenance.
“During that time, I had the privilege to work with Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus and ASP Bharat Persaud: men of integrity, honesty, intelligence and professionalism. They taught me most of what I know in training.”
Challenges
Hanover was eventually encouraged to further his studies, since he had no CXC subjects.
Wanting to be a role model to new recruits and an Ambassador for the Force, Hanover made the relevant sacrifices so that he could acquire a secondary education.
He wrote CXC, gaining all Grade Ones, achieved a Distinction in Supervisory Management at the University of Guyana (IDCE), did numerous internal police courses, and is presently in his second year of a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
All the while, Hanover was performing policing duties ranging from traffic, station visits and night patrols as well as conducting classes at the computer centre.
“Getting to this point wasn’t easy, I faced several challenges but each and every one of them helped strengthen me to be the person I am today,” he explained.
“Working on holidays and wee hours in the night and sometimes all night is a part of policing but I thank God for a supportive and understanding wife who is always there for me through everything.”
Promotion
Hanover’s work in the Force did not go unrecognised.
From 2014 to 2016, he captained the G Division Debating team, of which he received best speaker of the round on several occasions.
In 2015, he trained in excess of 600 citizens on the Essequibo Coast, including cops.
The then Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud attended the graduation in August 2015, where he was impressed with Hanover’s work.
“He promoted me on the spot from Constable to Corporal,” Hanover recalled.
In 2016, he took over as acting Commandant of the Richard Faikall Police College for a while then was sent on a station management course.
In 2018, he piloted an ambitious project, which aimed to help communities.
“I had a conversation with the Zara Team with a proposal to implement free transportation. Also, I engaged the Divisional Commander to provide assistance in realising my idea of which they both agreed.”
“My team and I proceeded into charity, Lima Sands, Sandpit, Red Village, Pomona and Perseverance villages’ conducting door to door registration in an effort to enrol persons for class.”
In excess of 700 persons were enrolled and trained, with free transportation to and from class.
Over the period September 2018 to September 2019 1284 persons were trained.
“This initiative was a great success and contributed tremendously in building community-police relationship,” Hanover explained.
In December 2018, he was promoted to Sergeant.
Then, on December 18, 2019, at age 32 and with just six years of policing experience under his belt, Hanover was honoured as the country’s Best Cop, a prestigious award given annually to a member of the Force who has done exemplary work.
“The Best Cop award is one of the best I have received but seeing the smiles and satisfaction on the faces of citizens is the greatest award I have ever received,” Hanover explained.
But despite receiving this respected accolade, Hanover has no intentions of slowing down.
In fact, the award has only motivated him to work harder and to continue to inspire people, young and old, both within and out of the Force, to strive to become the best versions of themselves.
“I believe that my job is very important because of the area I function in. Training plays an integral role in the Guyana Police Force. It is an area that holds the responsibility of producing the standard of Police that is required. That’s why I love my job so much because I get to make a difference in the lives of young people.”
