Another member of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) has added his name to the ever-growing list of police officers with university degrees.
Constable Desrick Quashie, of Georgetown, who has been a police officer for 12 years, has been awarded a Master of Arts Degree in security, intelligence and diplomacy with merit, from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.
Quashie began his educational journey in 2014 when he obtained a Diploma and an International Close Protection Officer’s License in the United States from ISA Academy Global Security School and an Advanced Diploma in security management from the said institution in Sweden.
In 2016, Quashie enrolled as a Campus student at the University of Buckingham to pursue his degree and successfully completed his course of study on December 8, 2017.
He said his journey to earning his degree was not always smooth as he encountered many challenges along the way.
One such challenge was the late receipt of a student visa to enter the United Kingdom, which caused him to defer the commencement of his degree program from 2016 to 2017.
Another challenge was the many nights that he had to defy sleep and tiredness to prepare and submit his assignments on time.
“I pursued studies in this field for professional development and because of my passion and the keen interest I have in the delivery of security,” he told the Police Public Relations Department.
“ I strongly believe in specialization and wanted to develop expertise in the field of security. Given the current security challenges and other global issues, it is important not only for persons to be trained but to be educated in respect of international standards. I would like to use my knowledge and training to further develop the function and effectiveness of the Police organization because the way forward is intelligence-led policing and research-driven policymaking.”
Quashie said he is very proud of himself and is happy he was able to stay focused on working towards achieving these qualifications.
“I did not pursue a master’s degree for the sake of having a degree, but to master my craft. I hope what I’ve done can inspire other young officers to develop themselves further which would improve the functioning of the police force.