A young recruit from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has made history as the standout graduate of Recruit Course 150 at the Regional Police Training Centre, outperforming all her peers and claiming most of the course’s top honors ahead of her official entry into the Barbados Police Service.
Newly commissioned Police Constable Arika Parsons, badge number 2574, has turned her long-held ambition of a career in law enforcement into a remarkable achievement, capping months of grueling physical and mental training with a sweeping victory at the passing out parade held at the Sewell Christchurch training facility.
Parsons first relocated to Barbados on the encouragement of her mother, building early professional experience working as a cashier and customer service representative before pursuing her dream of joining the police force. “I did want to join the force before, but I thought it was too early,” Parsons explained in an interview after the ceremony. “So I just waited a while to get to know Barbados more. I am very passionate about providing a service, and I am looking forward to serving the people of Barbados with professionalism, fairness, and integrity.”
From the first day of training, Parsons faced steep challenges that tested her personal grit. Located adjacent to Grantley Adams International Airport, the training center put recruits through a relentless daily regimen that pushed her outside her comfort zone from the start. “The next day we started physical training, and that is when I realised that I need to step my game up,” PC Parsons recalled. “I was never really into extreme physical training, but I decided that I need to get myself there, and from then on, I just committed myself to learning, paying attention, and staying focused.”
Beyond the intensive physical requirements, the training course allowed Parsons to overcome a long-held personal fear that once seemed insurmountable. “The most interesting part for me was learning to swim,” she shared. “Growing up, I have always been afraid of swimming, and I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to learn to swim here. I can definitely say that I can float and I can swim now.”
There were points during the program where the pressure of the academy became almost too much to bear, and Parsons admitted she twice considered abandoning the course and returning home to Saint Vincent. “There were moments, at least two, where I wanted to give up,” she confessed. “But with God by my side, with the instructors here at the Regional Police Training Centre, and with the recruits—where there are some friends here that I have—they pushed me. They encouraged me to stay and to keep on pushing, to not give up, and so I continued. I am actually happy that I did.”
While Parsons had anticipated she would take home the Best in Police Duty award for her top performance on course examinations, the volume of awards she received came as a welcome surprise. “I honestly saw myself receiving at least one award, which was Best of Police Duty, because in the exams, I noticed that the grades that I got were at the top,” she said. “But when I was told that I would be receiving all those other awards, I was truly happy and I am blessed.”
Watching her daughter make history from the ceremony audience was Aletha Parsons, who traveled from Saint Vincent to attend the passing out parade. The proud mother credited her daughter’s strong work ethic to the foundational education she received at Saint Joseph’s Convent in Marriaqua. “I feel so happy and I am very proud of her,” the elder Parsons said. “She is an intelligent, loving, caring, and disciplined person. Her school moulded her to be a good, respectable person, so that when you complete your education and go out into the community, you continue that trend.” Parsons was also joined at the event by her brother Alrick Parsons to celebrate her milestone.
As Parsons prepares to officially leave the training facility this Friday to begin her active duty, she reaffirmed her commitment to serving her adopted home country. “I am looking forward to giving my best and to learning and to improving myself so that I can provide a service to the people of Barbados,” she said. “I will bring forward my discipline and everything that I have learnt, and this will help me to always do my best.”
(Photos by Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)