Georgetown: Special video recording equipment donated by the Justice Education Society (JES) was given to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to enhance their interviewing skills while increasing their impact in court cases.
Acting Crime Chief, Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Williams received the donations from JES Guyana Country Representative, Rolinda Kirton on Thursday at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary.
The Crime Chief said the equipment was a wonderful Christmas gift for the GPF. He said over the past three years the engagement with the JES has been fruitful in all encounters. Adding that the equipment will bring a great deal of integrity in police investigations, Williams said on many occasions when confession statements are given to the police there are allegations of persons being induced or beaten.
The Assistant Police Commissioner said the JES recognised that the Police Force has excellent investigators and greater success can be realised when cases are presented in court in the form of video recording evidence. “The JES realised that the deficiency could be corrected and addressed…training sessions were conducted and we have seen the response of the ranks and how capable they are,” Williams explained.
JES Guyana Country Representative, Rolinda Kirton said the JES brought in a specialist and commenced training of investigators in interviewing skills earlier this year. She said the trainers were retired Royal Canadian Mountain Police officers (RCMP) who are specialist in interviewing.
“What they recommended is that the GPF should move in the direction of video recorded interviews because then persons cannot claim that they were coerced or induced,” she said.
Explaining that the RCMP had recommended that the special sets of equipment be loaned indefinitely to the GPF, Kirton said this would allow investigators to have the opportunity during their training to utilise the equipment.
Expressing enthusiasm that the GPF was readily willing to upgrade their skills and move in the right direction, the JES representative said two training sessions were already conducted, one held in June and the other in September with investigators from CID headquarters and other divisions.
“We have trained in excess of 40 investigators across the country. The three pieces of special video recording equipment will assist greatly and this will continue to grow,” she said. The JES Guyana Rep said that the equipment will be placed in special monitoring rooms and will be monitored by a team. She noted that investigators would have also shared with their colleagues the skills that were beneficial to them.
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