Guyana’s Police reform efforts featured at US leadership programme

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) was represented by the Head of the Strategic Planning and Implementation Unit for Police Reform, Senior Superintendent Dr Nicola Kendall, at the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), a premier professional exchange initiative of the US Department of State.
Dr Kendall’s participation strongly aligned with Guyana’s ongoing Police reform agenda and the GPF Strategic Plan 2022-2026, particularly in the areas of professionalism, accountability, human capacity development, partnerships, technology, innovation, and institutional modernisation.

The programme, administered by the Meridian International Center and supported by partner agencies across several US cities, forms a key component of the United States’ citizen-diplomacy framework, designed to connect emerging and established leaders with American institutions, governance systems, and professional counterparts, as well as governance practices.
This specific law enforcement-focused project provided participants with a comprehensive examination of US policing within a democratic context. Throughout the engagement, attendees explored the integral relationships among law enforcement, communities, oversight bodies, public agencies, and justice-sector stakeholders.
The programme also offered comparative insight into how various US jurisdictions address modern policing priorities, including public safety management, crime-prevention strategies, operational accountability, and community-centred approaches to law enforcement.
The programme also included participants from a diverse cross-section of countries, creating a rich comparative learning environment spanning regions, legal traditions, and policing models.
Countries represented included Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Finland, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.