Closing Ceremony of the Police Band Summer Programme
Seventeen years of musical excellence and community engagement was celebrated on August 21, 2025, as the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) Police Band held a graduation ceremony for their annual Summer Programme. The event, held at the Peace Memorial Hall, celebrated the one hundred and twenty-six participants who completed the program, which ran from July 15 to August 21.
Inspector Miller, the current Band Master, expressed his delight that 83 of the graduates were boys, noting that this programme provides a positive outlet for young men. He highlighted that the students learned to play a variety of instruments, including drums, keyboards, guitars, steelpans, flutes, and trumpets. Additionally, members from the Sexual Offence Unit, the Anti-Trafficking in Person Unit and the H.I.V and AIDS gave lectures.
Superintendent of Police Hezran Ballantyne addressed the graduates, praising their new skills and commending the parents and guardians for entrusting their children to the police. The ceremony opened with the students performing “Jehovah Is Your Name,” showcasing their new abilities. He encouraged the students to continue practicing and perfecting their skills even though the programme had ended.
Guest speaker Shernell Hadaway echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that “summer time need not be wasted.” She encouraged the graduates to be ambassadors of their new musical knowledge to their friends and family, stressing that music fosters personal growth and leads to greater community involvement. Hadaway reminded the students that while talent is important, consistent practice is what leads to excellence, and that obstacles should be seen as opportunities for growth.
Every participant received a certificate, and a special award was given to the “Best All-rounded “, Jaydon Mason of Largo Heights. The RSVGPF expresses its commitment to continuing the program in the future and thanked the parents, guardians, and children for their teamwork. They also reminded the graduates that the police band is always looking for new members.
