The Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) has congratulated Constable Mitchel Prevost on his successful completion of the International Boarding Officer Course held in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States.
The course ran from July 17 to August 7, 2026, and is designed to train law enforcement and maritime security officers in the safe and lawful boarding of vessels at sea. The CDPF extended its congratulations to Prevost on his achievement, describing the certification as an important addition to the force's operational capacity.
Boarding officer training covers the procedures used when officers must stop, board and inspect vessels in territorial waters and beyond. It typically includes instruction on vessel handling, safety at sea, search techniques, evidence handling and the legal framework governing maritime enforcement. The international course in Charleston brings together officers from different countries, allowing them to share practices and build working relationships that can be useful in joint operations.
For Dominica, a small island state with a long coastline and busy waters between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, maritime enforcement is a routine part of police work. The island's location makes it a natural transit point for shipping, fishing and pleasure craft, and officers are regularly called on to inspect vessels, respond to reports at sea and support other agencies with maritime duties.
Constable Prevost's certification means the CDPF now has an officer trained to an international standard in boarding procedures. That skill set can be applied in day-to-day patrols, in joint operations with regional partners and in response to incidents that require officers to go aboard a vessel safely and lawfully.
The CDPF has not released further details about where Constable Prevost will be assigned or how the training will be used within the force. The congratulations were extended publicly, in keeping with the force's practice of recognising officers who complete specialised training abroad.
Dominica works closely with regional and international partners on maritime security, including through the Regional Security System and other Caribbean arrangements. Training opportunities of this kind are one way small island forces maintain the skills needed to police their waters, which are far larger than their land area.
The course in Charleston is one of several international programmes that Caribbean law enforcement officers attend each year. For the CDPF, sending an officer abroad represents an investment in capability that returns to the force in the form of specialised knowledge and, often, instruction passed on to colleagues.
Constable Prevost's completion of the course was noted by the force as a credit to him and to the organisation. The CDPF has encouraged officers to pursue professional development and has highlighted similar achievements in the past.
