The Government of Jamaica is partnering with the Canadian Government to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP).
The first 16-member cohort of the HNP were equipped in security screening interview techniques during a recently concluded one-week course at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ).A second batch of HNP participants were slated to arrive on December 9. Several training sessions for NHP personnel are to be undertaken over an extended period.National Security Minister, Dr. Horace Chang, said that, among other things, the HNP specialised training programme, is intended to assist in establishing a “self-sustaining, fully functioning police force with the capacity to conduct a wide spectrum of policing functions as a critical tool to creating long- term sustainable solutions in Haiti”.He noted that the just concluded course seeks to “strengthen the capabilities of members to conduct effective security screening interviews. This enhanced capacity will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in improving security responses by helping to identify and neutralise potential threats before they escalate.”Dr. Chang, who was addressing the closing ceremony and presentation of certificates at the NPCJ in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine on Dec. 8, reiterated Jamaica’s commitment to facilitating law enforcement training for the HNP as part of a long-term strategy.“We will continue to play our part in supporting the multinational security support mission to Haiti to help rebuild and standardise the security infrastructure, the local electoral system, health and the social and political arrangements in the country,” he noted.The training programme is being facilitated by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Global Affairs Canada-Central America and the Caribbean, and other stakeholders.