Caribbean police urged to embrace diversity in changing region

Caribbean police officers must be prepared to serve multicultural communities both at home and abroad fairly and without bias, the region’s police training leaders have warned, as law enforcement agencies face the prospect of supporting operations in strife-torn Haiti and adapting to rapid social change.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Barry Hunte urged greater sensitivity among the 41 graduates of training courses for court prosecutors and constables at a joint graduation ceremony at the Regional Police Training Centre (RPTC) at Paragon.

“Study other cultures. Respect other cultures. Embrace them,” he said.

“That is the dynamic that will impact how we serve, and who we serve.”

ACP Hunte, who has responsibility for special operations and management services, said public speaking, cultural competence and non-discriminatory service are no longer optional but essential tools for frontline officers and prosecutors in what he described as a rapidly changing region.

“As prosecutors, you are advocates. As frontline officers, you are advocates. You have to speak to a wide and diverse public,” he said.

“It is imperative that you acquire those skills, practise them, and further develop your ability to be effective public speakers and advocates.”

With increasing migration between Caribbean countries and ongoing discussions at the CARICOM level around the need for additional law enforcement support in Haiti, officers may be called upon to serve outside their jurisdictions or within communities that differ from their own, he said.

“Will any of us be called upon to serve? We do not know,” ACP Hunte said.

“But what is important to note is that the movement of Caribbean people continues apace… and we are called upon, now more than ever, to police diverse communities and to do it effectively, fairly, and transparently.”

He added: “I must not discriminate against any person living in Barbados, St Kitts, St Lucia, or Grenada. Because according to my Constitution, every person in Barbados is entitled to the full protection of the law.”

The two professional development programmes brought together officers from across Barbados and the wider region for up to five weeks of intensive training aimed at improving their skills and reinforcing their commitment to public service.

A total of 26 participants completed the prosecutors course, and 15 from the Barbados Police Service graduated from the enhanced constables development course, both coordinated by Deputy Commandant Lawrence Collymore.

In his course report, Collymore said the constables’ training focused on areas such as investigations, cybercrime, community policing, domestic violence, case file preparation, and officer safety.

He described the participants as dedicated and eager to grow.

“You came into this programme with a willingness to learn, and you leave today more confident, better prepared, and more aware of the serious responsibilities that come with wearing the uniform,” he told them.

Police Constable Corey Welch of the Barbados Police Service, delivering the student report on behalf of the constables, said the course helped them sharpen their technical and interpersonal skills, regardless of their years of service.

“The diversity of our group did not stop us from participating in the lectures or helping each other,” he said.

“This course has helped me sharpen, refresh, and enhance my policing knowledge.”

The prosecutors course, which ran for five weeks, drew participants from Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the British Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Officers from Barbados’ immigration, labour, and planning and development departments also took part.

Sergeant Paula Brewster described the prosecutors’ course as “transformative”. Speaking on behalf of the participants, she said it challenged assumptions and reinforced the idea that prosecutors must act not as enforcers but as defenders of fairness.

“We learned not just how to build a case, but how to present it with clarity, confidence, and integrity,” she said.

“We are prosecutors, not persecutors. The goal is not to get a conviction but to see justice prevail for all.”

She also acknowledged the contribution of top judges and counsels in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as instructors, who helped shape the participants’ understanding of justice and ethics.

Immigration Officer II Shelly Lashley of Barbados and Delano Charles from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in St Vincent and the Grenadines were named Best at Prosecution, while PC Edward Blackman received an award for Best at Giving Evidence and PC Ronaldo Brown was named Best Student in the enhanced constables development course. 

ACP Hunte congratulated all the graduates, reminding them that the ceremony marked not an end, but a stepping stone in their development. 

(SM)