Charity pays to train cops handling abuse cases

(CNS): The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise is sponsoring officers from the RCIPS Family Support Unit in a diploma level training course in Domestic Abuse and Violence Awareness. The local charity is paying tuition fees for family support officers in an extension of its long standing support of the Crisis Centre, Cayman’s only true refuge for victims of abuse.

Sunrise President Stacy Parke said the service club is committed to raising the awareness of, support for persons affected by, and working on the prevention of, domestic violence in our community, which led to this partnership with the RCIPS.

“The police are usually the first point of contact for reports of domestic violence and therefore strengthening their training and understanding in this area will be beneficial to all concerned,” she said.

“In keeping with Rotary’s focus on peace, service and supporting community values, the Community Service Directors felt that this year they needed to do more than a donation to the Cayman Islands Crisis Center (CICC) and by sponsoring the training of these officers, we can take a holistic approach to dealing with this major social issue,” Parke added.

Family Support Unit Inspector Dausea Scott said their main role was investigating cases involving domestic violence and offering support to those affected.

“We are grateful to Rotary Sunrise for this donation, which will help our team build upon the tools and training that we already possess, and help us strengthen the service that we provide to persons affected by domestic violence,” she said in a press release from the RCIPS.

“It is only by working together with organisations like Rotary and members of our community that we can truly address issues such as domestic violence,” she added.

The donation covers the cost of an online training course of up to 150 hours of self-study, run by the Centre of Excellence and registered with the Complementary Medical Association.