Caribbean police undergo counter-terrorism training

Senior police officers and prosecutors from six Caribbean countries are participating in a one-week counter-terrorism course in Kingston, Jamaica, from 31 March to 4 April 2008.

The course, organised by Jamaica’s Justice Training Institute (JTI) in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, covers intelligence-gathering and use; investigating terrorism and its financing; co-ordinating with border control agencies; and international co-operation.

David Fraser, an Adviser in the Secretariat’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division, said the Caribbean region is part of the global village and is therefore affected by serious crimes and acts of terrorism which are now international security challenges.

“People from the region have both been victims of and perpetrators of terrorist offences,” commented Mr Fraser. “It is therefore a security imperative that the region’s police and customs officers, prosecutors, financial intelligence personnel are armed with the knowledge and expertise to prevent and combat terrorism.”

Some 40 participants including police officers, prosecutors, customs officials and financial investigators from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, and St Kitts and Nevis are being trained. The course has been added to the curriculum at JTI and will be marketed to the Caribbean region.

The Secretariat has assisted member countries in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific with training in the area since being mandated by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 2002 to develop a programme to assist law enforcement officials to prevent and combat terrorism.

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