Four TCI Police Officers Sent to Jamaica for Advanced Detective Training

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is stepping up capacity-building efforts among its ranks, sending four officers to Jamaica for advanced training in professional detective practice.

BAILEY “... If we are going to modernize the Force, we have to build capacity...”

FiLE...Fitz Bailey

The officers are among 35 participants welcomed by the National Police College of Jamaica as Semester Two of the Advanced Diploma in Professional Detective Practice programme gets underway.

The 40-week programme began on April 27, 2026, and is being delivered across three semesters using a blended format. The first semester was conducted online, while the second involves face-to-face residential training. The final semester will consist of on-the-job training.

Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey said the officers’ participation forms part of the Force’s wider modernization programme, with particular emphasis on capacity building and succession planning.

“As a part of the Force modernization effort, one of the things that we are doing is capacity building and succession planning,” Bailey said.

“This cohort of persons will be formally trained as detectives and, as indicated, they will be issued with a well-recognized diploma in detective practice.”

The Commissioner described the course as a comprehensive programme that will provide officers with formal investigative training and practical experience.

He said the Force is also seeking to have the officers complete the practical attachment component of the programme in Jamaica, where they can benefit from mentorship and exposure to a larger investigative environment.

“One other thing that we are trying to do is to ensure that the attachment is done not on island, but in Jamaica, so they can get proper mentorship in terms of investigation,” Bailey said.

“At the end of the day, we believe that the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force will be better served by the training they receive and the application of that training.”

Bailey said the benefits are expected to extend beyond the four participating officers. Upon their return, they will be expected to share their knowledge and mentor other detectives within the Force.

He added that the initiative represents the beginning of a broader programme, with additional cohorts expected to receive similar training.

“This is just the beginning of several other cohorts that will be sent because, if we are going to modernize the Force, we have to build capacity—particularly our investigative capacity,” the Commissioner said.

The detective training forms part of a wider professional-development drive across several areas of policing. Bailey said officers have already received advanced tactical training, with a follow-up course being planned.

The Force is also investing in the development of supervisors and middle managers. More than 15 middle managers have completed an internationally accredited junior command course, while two officers recently completed similar training at the Guyana Police Training College.

Bailey said the Force will continue to explore training opportunities in other jurisdictions as it works to strengthen leadership, operational readiness and investigative capabilities throughout the organization.