Dear Editor,
Two days before the media carried stories of paranormal activities at the Police Training Centre, Pandit Deodat Persaud, ERC Commissioner and Youth Liaison of The Caribbean Voice, wrote on his Facebook page, “On my way home from Georgetown tonight, I happened to share the company of a few Police trainee officers who, like their colleagues, managed to ‘escape’ from the training centre at Eve Leary.
“Apparently, some paranormal activities developed since last Saturday. Many wanted to return to their homes ever since; however, permission was denied. It was unbearable, and from observation, everyone was leaving.
“I then learnt of their horrible living conditions: complains about unsanitary living conditions, lack of proper meals, among other areas of concern. While I understand that Police training is an intensive one, there were concerns that the programme is inhumane. I became very empathetic to their plights, since they are young people who, given the lack of job opportunities, resorted to the Police Force, only to be greeted by these torturous conditions.
“As expected in Guyana, the fear of victimisation for complaining, and with parental expectations, these officers, as I understood, have limited or no options, and that is exploited upon. Young people are sadly at the receiving end of poor management and incompetence by persons whose eras have long gone.
“I therefore call for an urgent investigation into the living conditions of the Police Training Institute, and an assessment of the current curriculum. In my opinion, these officers are under severe stress, and as a result, these paranormal activities are a manifestation of the situation. I am calling for immediate counselling for these traumatised future guardians of our nation, as well as mental health training.”
In commenting on Pandit Deodat’s post, ex-Police officer Linden Johnson stated, “Every batch of recruits gets the same story, and it seems like no one cares.” He went on to call for the Police Commissioner to make impromptu visits to the centre, adding that “Former Commissioner Carl Austin would just walk over to the school without giving notice,” and his visits ensured that standards were kept high.
Another comment, by social activist Vidyartha Kissoon, indicated that “Dr. Janice Jackson had developed training modules for self-awareness and domestic violence prevention, but these were thrown aside”. He added, “The last time I interacted with recruits, I was horrified that they were drinking Red Bull to stay awake.
Now, we don’t know if there is a connection between the awful training/living conditions and limited curriculum on the one hand, and the ‘paranormal’ activities on the other; but everyone knows that there does indeed exist a mind/body connection.
In any case, The Caribbean Voice joins Pandit Deodat Persaud and others in calling for urgent intervention to improve the training/living conditions; for the curriculum to include mental health issues such as suicide, sexual and domestic violence, stress management, self-esteem, coping skills and emphatic communication; and for counselling to be made available to all trainees, with a special focus on building resilience and positive self-esteem, while arming trainees with coping skills to be able to handle challenges.
We also strongly suggest that the training should include a focus on ethics and value-laden norms.
Sincerely,
The Caribbean Voice
