Officers of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) were awarded scholarships to pursue studies in Spanish at the Lifelong Learning Unit at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus.
While attending the presentation ceremony at the Headquarters of the RPFAB, Paula C. M Lee, Executive Director of the Lifelong Learning Unit stated that, “as diverse groups of people migrate globally, inevitably, language barriers will exist. Huge gaps in language support for individuals who speak English as a second language may result in misunderstandings, wrongful arrests, and deteriorating trust in the police. In Antigua and Barbuda, Spanish scholarships awarded to police officers could improve improved multilingual services, language and cultural immersion and continuous learning, the RPFAB can enhance its performance and serve residents and visitors with distinction”.
In addition to the awardees, senior leaders of the RPFAB and the Acting Commissioner of Police, Everton Jeffers attended the event. Acting Commissioner Jeffers expressed gratitude for the training opportunities that are being offered through The UWI FIC and encouraged the officers to excel in all their endeavours.
“We welcome the scholarships and believe that the recipients will engage their knowledge of Spanish to help strengthen police-community relations. Together, as a cohesive unit, the police and civilians can identify and solve problems. We are committed to improving the cooperation between ourselves and all stakeholders so that our collective efforts can result in safer communities and confidence in the abilities of the RPFAB”.
Since its inception in 2021, the Lifelong Learning Unit programmes are offering working adults multiple pathways to increase knowledge, enhance skills and earn credentials. In preparing the people of the OECS for the global world of work, our foreign language portfolio will be expanded to include Mandarin, Hindu and French.
