BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER three packed weeks of training, 14 security officers of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Windsor University successfully graduated as the Federation’s first batch of prospective Island Constables.
The officers – eight of Ross and six from Windsor – commenced their training on August 8, as part of a joint initiative between the learning institutions and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF).
The Island Constables Act 2009 provides for persons fitting specific criteria to be trained and conferred powers of Island Constables.
The successful officers are Randolph Belle, Angela Jarvis, Chester Marshall, Lionel Paul, Cecil Richardson, Vernon Taylor, Eartha Williams and Kevin Williams of Ross University and Oliver Archibald, Osbourne Bute, Germaine Douglas, Augustine Nwosu, Leroy Pitt and Rodney Thomas of Windsor University.
The three-week training culminated with an evaluation and written examination and, while Officer Belle performed the best during the shooting exercises, Officer Marshall performed best in the examination and was adjudged best overall.
During the graduation ceremony held at the Police Training Complex, the officers were issued certificates as testament of their successful completion of the course, courtesy the RSCNPF.
Minister of National Security Sam Condor, in delivering the keynote address, congratulated the graduands and commended them for taking on the enormous challenge of assisting in curbing the spate of criminal activity which the Federation has been experiencing.
He also expressed that the graudands have a “supporting role” to play as they stand willing and able to provide assistance to the security forces if and when called upon to do so.
Commissioner of Police Austin Williams, in a brief interview with SKNVibes, indicated that the officers’ successful completion of the course does not make them Island Constables but rather in a position where they could be conferred powers of an Island Constable by the Commissioner of Police if he deems such action necessary.
Training was conducted by Sergeants Eldrin Dickenson and Shorna Edwards of the RSCNPF and John Davis of Ross University.
