Two Virgin Islands police officers recently travelled to Bermuda for an eight-week “train-the-trainer” programme designed to boost armed policing capabilities across the British overseas territories.
Now the pair — Sergeant Vic-Kaycee Winter and acting Sergeant Kimani Roberts — will teach their new skills to their VI colleagues, police said.
The training, which concluded on June 20, was delivered by the International Policing Assistance Service with support from the United Kingdom Home Office, Police Scotland and the Greater Manchester Police.
It focused on armed-response-vehicle tactics and advanced skills used for responding to high-risk incidents involving firearms or other lethal threats, according to the Royal VI Police Force.
UK firearms experts, for instance, provided instruction on de-escalation strategies, suspect extraction and officer safety protocols.
Ultimately, the course aimed to establish a standardised training model across the territories and build capacity for each participating police force to deliver specialist training locally, police said.
Other territories
Besides the VI and Bermuda, officers also attended from Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The programme was developed in consultation with police commissioners from across the territories as part of a broader strategy to boost regional security by establishing consistent training and operational standards, according to the RVIPF
‘Impressive to witness’
Bermuda Governor Andrew Murdoch visited the cohort at the start of the training and during various exercises.
“It was impressive to witness the professionalism and skill of the IPAS and regional officers in action,” he said. “The sustainability and local delivery made possible by this model will contribute significantly to safer communities across the region.”
VI acting Police Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool praised the initiative too.
“This training provided our officers with critical skills and the ability to replicate those standards within our own force,” she said. “It also fostered strong regional bonds that will enhance collaboration when responding to serious threats.”
