Officers of the Bermuda Police Service are taking part in training designed to strengthen their skills in dealing with traumatic situations.

The trauma-informed course, which started on Monday, will finish today and is being run by officers from Britain’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

Twenty-four officers from several divisions of the BPS are attending the training at the police service headquarters in Prospect.

The course aims to increase the officers’ awareness of how trauma can impact people and communities.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police James Howard said the course focused on recognising the widespread impact of trauma.

He added: “This training should help to assist in fostering trust as well as cultural sensitivities.

“As I said to the students yesterday, if we are not culturally sensitive, then what happens is that we can actually re-traumatise persons.”

Mr Howard said the course will provide the officers with the additional tools needed to best serve the public.

He said that several weeks ago Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons, while overseas at a conference, had conversations with specialists in dealing with trauma.

The pair then discussed the possibility of training for island officers and a plan was put in place to carry out this week’s programme.

Claire Jenkins, Chief Superintendent of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “Working in a trauma-informed way does no harm to those unaffected by trauma and must speak to those who are.

“It breaks down barriers to accessing services; it’s a healing way of working; it prevents triggering people.

“It prevents re-traumatisation and that can help people to then access services that can support them.”

Karen Dawes, a trauma-informed specialist at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said it is important that the participants apply what they learnt this week to the job and in their personal spaces.

She said: “It was really great to hear the officers acknowledging how much this resonates with them and connects with what they are doing on a day-to-day basis, whether they are dealing with domestic abuse, sexual assaults and some other significant incidents that really remain with the officers for a long time in the future.”

Ms Dawes said the participants understood the principles of the training exercise.

She added: “It is all founded upon safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and cultural considerations.”

Mr Howard said training courses that assist police officers to deliver service better to the community are always welcomed.

He said plans were under way for a similar training exercise next year.

Mr Howard added that the aim is to ensure that at least a third of the BPS are exposed to trauma training.