Over three hundred new recruits of the Liberia National Police (LNP) have been trained in vicarious trauma, stress management and self-care at the LNP training academy in Paynesville city, suburb of Monrovia.
The training was conducted the by Liberia Association of Psychosocial Services (LAPS) training team, and was designed to enhance the ability of the new LNP recruits as they set to embark on their areas of assignment.
According to LAPS boss, Seidu Swaray, who served as the lead lecturer at the trauma and stress management training, the training was meant to help the new recruits in handling vicarious trauma and stress management situations when on assignment.
He said vicarious trauma is a one getting infected as a result of listening to stories of traumatic events from other people.
According to him, majority of the Liberian populace are still suffering from trauma and stress, and the training is necessary for the new recruits as they embark on their areas of assignments. He stated that they need to be informed of the various types of stress confronting the society, and the knowledge acquired will enable them to become vibrant in their duties.
This session was very interactive and went well. The recruits were tested by LAPS lecturers. The test was meant to examine the recruits’ knowledge regarding what they had learned.
Also speaking, Moses Tamba Sepoh, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Training and Manpower Development, Liberia National Police (LNP), noted that the recruits of the LNP started their first phase of training, which is designed for 12 weeks and is the academic component, on March 26. According to him, the academic component has four models: general policing, criminal investigation, Liberian law related to police work, and tactical training. Deputy Commissioner Sepoh said the training will help reduce the stress and trauma attached to the job when executing national mandate.
He expressed thanks and appreciation to the LNP counterpart for providing such a necessary training to the LNP recruits at this time. He said the new LNP recruits are 325, with 85 females.