Every police recruit in Guyana is expected to receive specialised training in responding to gender-based violence as the COPSQUAD programme becomes a permanent part of instruction at the Guyana Police Academy.

The programme will be integrated into the training of recruits and young officers, while serving members of the Guyana Police Force will continue receiving updated instruction.

Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud said the approach is intended to improve how officers handle reports of violence and abuse from the first interaction with victims.

“It will be rolled out to recruits, it will be rolled out to young officers, and it is our intention through the partnership to have continuing education with our police officers at all levels,” Persaud said.

COPSQUAD was launched in 2021 by the Human Services Ministry in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund.

It was initially designed to train 2,000 police officers in responding to gender-based violence. UNFPA Liaison Officer Alder Bynoe said the programme has surpassed that target, reaching more than 5,000 ranks.

By embedding the programme within the academy, new officers will receive the training as part of their formal police education instead of through a separate exercise later in their careers.

Persaud said officers must understand the laws, procedures and protocols governing cases involving violence and abuse.

“When justice is served, it is served with full knowledge of all of the legislation in our country and following the prescribed protocols and procedures,” she said.

Continued training will also be used to keep officers informed as Guyana’s legal framework changes.

Persaud pointed to the Family Violence Act of 2024 and the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill, which is currently before a Special Select Committee of Parliament.

She said officers at every level must remain familiar with those developments to ensure complaints are handled according to the law and established procedures.

The expansion is expected to create a more consistent police response to gender-based violence, with officers receiving instruction from the beginning of their careers and updated training as laws and procedures change.