The Minister for Internal Security, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana, has commended Police for its contribution in community development, saying the more professionalised the force gets, the more it contributes to the country's growth.

Harerimana made the remarks at the Police Training School (PTS) in Gishari, Rwamagana District, while addressing 466 Police officers who completed a cadet course.

The cadets await commissioning.

"Police officers have contributed not only to ensuring security of our people but also community development. The only way to sustain that is building a more professional force,” said the minister.

He thanked the families of the cadet-officers for their support, adding that the pass-out event is expected soon and will be presided over by President Paul Kagame.

The officers started their course in April, last year, and, according to the commandant of the training school, ACP Denis Basabose, only nine of the recruits could not make it to the end for varying reasons.

Giving back

"Those that have completed the cadet course include 51 women and seven pilots. During their stay at school, the cadets were also engaged in community outreach activities where they constructed six houses for needy families,” Basabose said.

Among the courses during the training include leadership skills, law and order, ICT, road safety, community policing, drills and paramilitary.

"We have no doubt that the courses they have taken will be reflected in their performance as they execute their responsibilities,” said Basabose.

This is the seventh cadet intake to go through the school.

PTS is one of the three schools established by Police in its pursuit to build capacity of personnel with required knowledge and skills in line with the modern policing demands.

In 1995, the school started as Communal Police Training Centre and, in 2000, when the Rwanda National Police was established, it was upgraded to a Police Training School.

Since then, PTS has grown into a training centre, not only for Rwandans but also for officers from across the region and the continent as it strives to become a centre of excellence.

A total of 21,186 recruits, including ten police intakes, the former communal police and 927 cadets have graduated from PTS since 1995.

The school now hosts the cadet and basic police course training wings, peace support pre-deployment training centre, Gishari Integrated Polytechnic as well as police logistics school. It also conducts specialised courses in criminal investigation, gender-based violence and road traffic refresher courses, among others.

PTS also hosts one of the 12 health centres established by RNP in various parts of the country as part of its initiatives to participate in social development and human security in general.