Police Receive ‘Use Of Force’ Training

The Miami Dade College School of Justice and the Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety (CISPS) recently hosted their first joint training programme in Trinidad on the quite topical issue of “The Use of Force”. The programme ran for three days (February 3-5, 2015) at the end of which 37 participants were awarded a joint Certificate from the Miami Dade College and the CISPS.

Participants came from a cross section of public safety institutions in Trinidad including the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force – Regiment, Coast Guard, Air Guard, Reserves, Headquarters; Transit Police; Immigration Detention Centre; PLIPDECO; Petrotrin; Police Service; Prison Service; and Office of Law Enforcement Policy.

Among the trainers were Dr. Raimundo Socorro, Director, School of Justice, Miami Dade College, Mr. Darwin Villavicencio, Detective, Virginia Gardens Police Department and Lecturer, Miami Dade College, and Mr. James Philbert, Attorney at Law and former Commissioner of Police, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

Some of the key issues presented in the training programme were the concept of procedural justice to deal with use of force, levels of use of force, policies and strategies to deal with use of force, various techniques in investigating use of force incidents, responding to the media after use of force incidents, law and regulations.

At the end of the training, the participants indicated that the course was timely, relevant and extremely beneficial especially in light of allegations of abuse of force both in the United States and in Trinidad and Tobago. Additional comments were “insightful”, “useful to the protective services” and “mind opening”.
Some even suggested that this course should be afforded to all members of the public and private security and public safety institutions, as well as to policy makers.

Miami Dade College trains over 175,000 students annually and is the largest institution of higher education in the United States. Its School of Justice offers bachelors, associate degree and certificate programmes in various areas of public safety, including fire, police, corrections and private security.

The CISPS boasts of being the premier institution for Security and Public Safety training in the Caribbean and offers a wide range of dynamic, industry-relevant courses towards the development of security and public safety personnel of the highest standard throughout the Caribbean region.