By Robert Andre Emmanuel
A group of 59 men and 13 women will spend the next six months undergoing intense training as they hope to become officers within the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.
Yesterday at a brief ceremony at the Sir Wright F George Police Academy, several senior officers within the police force, including the Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney, gave brief remarks.
Superintendent of Police, Louisa Benjamin-Quashie, told the recruits that the training would not for the weak. It will include basic police training in criminal law, customer service, military drills, and physical and mental fitness.
Assistant Commissioner and Fire Chief Vivian Parker said that the police force is not a calling but a choice to serve the nation and people.
“You have chosen a very noble profession…so you have to decide what you are going to put into it to see success for you.
“Every day that you are spend here at the training grounds, you should remind yourself of that very reason that you came, to give you the enthusiasm to move forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Everton Jeffers described the recruits as raw “gold” and “diamonds” as the 10 members of the police training team plan to transform them into quality police officers.
Deputy Commissioner Jeffers also said that the recruits need to eat, sleep and breathe determination.
“To be determined is an ability to continue to try even though it is very difficult what you’re trying to accomplish, it is a commitment to achieve your goal regardless of the challenges or the obstacles.
“Police training is like fire to gold; the fire does not destroy gold, it will remove the dross and show you the beauty of the gold.
“These people called instructors, they will be in your face, at your back, at your side, before you go to sleep, when you wake, tell you when to go, when not to go, but always remember this: their attitude towards you is not to destroy you, but to bring out the best in you,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Rodney thanked the young men and women for answering the call to serve their country at the highest level.
The new batch of recruits will be attached to both regular and fire departments with 10 going to the fire service.
Commissioner Rodney asked them to trust the process, be courageous, and stay focused.
He added that the police force is bigger than anyone, so there is no space for complaints or complacency from the recruits.
Quoting an excerpt from the book “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell, Commissioner Rodney said that “we help one another back over the sand dunes, pick up those who fell, supporting those who could barely walk. You have to look out for each other, to support each other.
“It is not a place of competition, it is a place of sharing with each other, complementing each other and making sure that your fellow student, fellow officer gets it right because, at the end of the day, that might be the person to defend you, protect you and to save your life,” Commissioner Rodney remarked.
