Karema Flood of the Bermuda Police Service, was awarded for completing the course at the top of her class by the Commandant of the Regional Police Training Centre, John Maxwell.
Female sergeant comes out on top
Sergeant Karema Flood of the Bermuda Police Force completed the two week Sexual Offences Investigation Course sucessfully at the top of her class.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, which took place at the Regional Police Training Centre, Commandant at the Regional Police Training Centre, John Maxwell, explained that the 32 participants of the course were exposed to various topics and sought to address a number of concerns relating to sexual crimes.
He noted that the participants were exposed to some of the best minds in the chosen subject areas, which provided, in his view, some much needed guidance. He stated that he was pleased to see their eagerness throughout the two weeks to gain more knowledge.
“As you set about the task of developing and honing your skills in this area of investigation, you should be able, as the training intended, to provide assistance to your colleagues and avoid many pitfalls that may present themselves while on the job,” he said.
Maxwell noted that in the event that they did everything humanely possible and there was no successful conclusion, they should be able to stand up to any scrutiny; he encouraged the participants to be completely thorough in their investigations.
Antonio Forte, Acting Senior Superintendent, at the Royal Barbados Police Force, expressed that even though the course was broad-based, it could not offer the participants all they needed to be effective investigators for cases such as these.
“Good investigative policing has to be honed through ongoing training, not only in hands-on techniques but through the application of modern technology to bring about rapid solutions,” he said.
“This is why it is vital to always benchmark yourself and your Force against global standards; look outward, not inward for opportunities for self-improvement in your chosen filed.”
Investigation of sexual offences remains an area of challenge for even the most brilliant among us, however, Forte believe that with an “ethical approach, compassion and steadfast zeal for finding the truth, the challenge is not beyond any of you.”
He therefore urged the participants to go forward with conviction, devoid of preconceived notions, which were guided by the thought that everyone in the system was innocent until proven guilty.