Caribbean Police chiefs conference: Regional witness protection program, improving criminal justice system top focus
The Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) is discussing several ways to tackle crime in the region as it hosts its 39th Annual Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) this week.
According to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall the discussions are focused on several issues aimed at upgrading the criminal justice system across the Caribbean.
The 39th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police at Arthur Chung Conference Centre
One of the programmes to be implemented in many countries is a Regional Witness Protection Programme. Nandlall said despite an agreement signed by several Heads of State in 1999, some countries have passed the legislation but are yet to operationalize the programme.
“Since 1999, an agreement was signed by several heads of state and a model bill was produced out of that agreement and it has not been operationalised in many of the Caricom states although many have passed it. We passed in here in 2018 but never brought it into operation,” he noted.
The AG added that “individual countries have their own witness protection programme but they are insular programmes rather than regional.”
Following the meeting, several Caribbean states will be passing “regional type” legislation, Nandlall said. These include a legislation to incorporate the Regional Security System into member states’ law enforcement arm, the CARICOM arrest warrant bill and the advanced passenger information record bill.
The ACCP’s objective is to prevent crime in the Caribbean through law enforcement efforts and concerted involvement of key stakeholders. The body was established in 1987 and has a membership comprising Commissioners of Police from 25 Caribbean jurisdictions.
With the theme “United Against Crime”, this high-level conference brings together leaders in policing from across the Caribbean to advance collaboration, capacity building, and best practices in law enforcement.
On Monday as security officials from across the Caribbean gather in Guyana for a five-day conference on enhancing regional policing, President Dr Irfaan Ali, unveiled a 7-point plan aimed at strengthening collaboration and resource-sharing to tackle common criminal issues. President Ali’s plan focuses on several key areas: Human Capital Development, Infrastructure Enhancement, Advanced Training Programmes, Technology Development, among others.
