Over Graduate – By Kisean Joseph
Over Graduate From Rss
Thirty-two police officers and soldiers from seven Caribbean countries have graduated from a two-week Regional Security System public order training and instructors’ course, held at the Crabbs training facility.
The graduation ceremony took place on the compound of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF). Instructors and senior officers used the occasion to stress discipline, teamwork and, above all, trust in equipment and training.
Of the 32 graduates, 11 were Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda officers, and eight were ABDF soldiers. The remaining participants represented Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, drawn from both police and defence force contingents.
Inspector Alvin Titus, one of the course instructors, told graduates that confidence in their equipment, paired with disciplined application of their training, would allow them to perform effectively in the most challenging situations.
“As you leave this course and return to your respective units, I urge you to always trust your equipment and to trust the training you have received,” Inspector Titus said.
Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers, who delivered the feature address, linked the timing of the course directly to Antigua and Barbuda’s upcoming hosting responsibilities for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting later this year.
“As our nation prepares to host a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting here in Antigua this year, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to provide a safe, secure and professionally managed environment,” Commissioner Jeffers said.
The course combined command and control exercises, communication drills and scenario-based training involving simulated hostile crowds, designed to test formation discipline, communication and composure under pressure. Participants were also exposed to crowd management, escalation and de-escalation techniques, and demonstrations involving improvised weapons.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating cohort, Constable Rodisha Polluck described the course as demanding but rewarding, and said the experience reinforced the value of regional cooperation among participants from different countries and organisations.
“The lesson that was consistently emphasised throughout the program was the importance of trust. We were taught to trust our equipment, trust our training and trust one another,” Constable Polluck said.
Organisers said the course forms part of ongoing efforts to standardise public order tactics and procedures across RSS member states, ensuring a common operational approach when countries are called upon to work together during regional security operations.
