A cohort of cross-agency and regional law enforcement personnel has wrapped up a rigorous two-week Close Protection Officer (CPO) training course hosted at the Sir Wright F. George Police Academy, marking a key milestone in security preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and other high-stakes national events across the region. The training initiative was developed and delivered in close partnership with the Regional Security System (RSS), a regional security coordination body that supports Caribbean nations in addressing shared public safety and security challenges. Unlike standard local training programs, this course brought together a diverse group of security professionals from multiple jurisdictions and agencies, blending local expertise with regional experience to standardize best practices for close protection operations. Participants included officers from Antigua and Barbuda’s core security agencies: the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the national Immigration Department, and the Customs Department. They were joined by law enforcement personnel from six other Caribbean nations: Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, creating a collaborative learning environment that crossed national borders. Over the 14-day intensive program, attendees built on their existing security knowledge and refined hands-on practical skills critical to elite close protection work. Trainees covered core competencies ranging from threat assessment and route planning to emergency response protocols, all tailored to the specific security demands of protecting high-profile dignitaries and other at-risk protected persons during large international summits. Beyond technical skill building, the course delivered a secondary, equally important benefit: it deepened established regional partnerships and fostered closer working relationships between security agencies across the Caribbean. By training side-by-side, officers from different nations built personal connections and aligned on operational protocols that will streamline cooperation during cross-border security operations for major events. In a formal statement following the course’s conclusion, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda issued a public expression of gratitude to the RSS for its partnership in developing and delivering the program, as well as to the participating instructors and all attending officers for their dedication to raising regional security standards. “Together, we continue to build a safer and more secure Caribbean,” the force emphasized in its closing statement, underlining the shared regional commitment to proactively preparing for major events and addressing evolving security challenges across the bloc.
Regional Officers Complete Close Protection Training in Antigua Ahead of CHOGM
