IN A collaboration between academia and the police, the University of the West Indies (UWI) has decided to franchise its Certificate in Public Administration course to the Jamaica Constabulary's Staff College.
The parties are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) tomorrow to mark what the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is calling an historic agreement, and it comes just a year after the Police Staff College, which is at Twickenham Park, near Spanish Town, south central St. Catherine, was granted tertiary-level status.
The college is already running the course, having done so for almost a year. The MOU will put an official stamp on the arrangement.
The course now has 29 students enrolled, both police and civilians. Under the agreement, the course will remain open to the general public. The Police Staff College plans to add an associate degree in Public Administration in another three years.
HIGH DEMAND
The Police Staff College began operating in 1984, providing basic and advanced training to members of the Police Force up to the rank of divisional commanders.
According to Superintendent Dormah Harrison, director of the Police Staff College, the demand for programmes offered by the institution has increased not only from the JCF, but also from the general public.
"In recent times I have had applications from a few non-police entities wanting us to bring them onto the programme (of law enforcement and administration training)," Supt. Harrison told The Gleaner. "Right now we are looking to see how we can adjust the course to accommodate them."
Supt. Harrison said the interest was a further demonstration that the college was fulfilling its mandate to provide quality training programmes.
"It has done it and has done it very well, and we continue to improve on what we do based on the reform taking place across the region," he said.
The Police Staff College is now processing another 35 applications from prospective students who are interested in the Public Administration course.
The signing of the MOU will take place at the college, starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Guests will include: Prof. Rex Nettleford, Vice Chancellor of UWI; Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security; Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe; Kent Pantry, Q.C., Director of Public Prosecutions; Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, Chief-of-Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, and prominent educators and members of the diplomatic corps.
