RPTC pushes closer police-prosecutor collaboration

The Regional Police Training Centre (RPTC) wants to improve collaboration between investigators and prosecutors. RPTC Deputy Commandant Lawrence Collymore says working together is key to getting better results in the justice system.​ Collymore spoke on Friday at the closing and awards ceremony for the Court Prosecutors and Enhanced Constables’ Development Courses at the RPTC in Seawell, Christ Church. Some of the graduates of the 2026 Prosecutors and Enhanced Constables’ Development Courses. (Photo credit: Shamar Blunt / Barbados TODAY) He said one main goal of the 2026 training cycle was to dismantle the barriers that have traditionally kept investigators and prosecutors apart. “A primary strategic objective of this training cycle was the dismantling of the silos that traditionally separate investigators from prosecutors by integrating both groups in a programme to establish a collaborative ecosystem that mirrors the requirements of a high-functioning justice system,” he said. According to Collymore, the approach helps reduce problems between the two sides. The five-week programme, which began on August 3 and concluded on Friday, brought together law enforcement officials from across the region and was designed to address weaknesses in the transition from investigation to prosecution. Collymore said the 2026 cycle had been successful, particularly in fostering “real-time collaboration between the investigative and prosecutor arms of the service”. He recommended that the RPTC continue mixing junior and veteran officers in future courses to encourage knowledge transfer between generations and ensure that classroom theory remains grounded in practical experience. Future training cycles, he said, should place greater emphasis on hands-on exercises, including electronic interviewing and crime scene management. Participants took part in debates, mock interviews and exercises involving simulated incidents, including accidents and burglaries. Collymore said facilitators subjected participants to rigorous scrutiny during the exercises, with the aim of identifying and eliminating procedural errors at their source. (SB)