Mon, 2008-05-26

The Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) recently held its 23rd Annual General Meeting and Conference in Ochos Rio, Jamaica under the theme managing emerging challenges to Regional law enforcement. The conference, which was under the Chairmanship of President of the ACCP and Commissioner of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Mr. Darwin Dottin drew participants from the Academic Community, regional and international law enforcement, members of the legal fraternity, the Diplomatic Corp, social workers, regional security and civil society. The dates of the conference were 14h – 20th MAY, 2008.

A wide range of topics were discussed at the conference. Included among these were:

1. Multidimensional Security – Challenges and the Role of Police Forces;

2. Drug Trends in the Caribbean;

3. Transnational crimes – An emerging challenge for Regional law enforcement;

4. Maintaining ethical standards in law enforcement;

5. School based violence;

6. Critical considerations for Officer Safety;

7. Gender Issues in law enforcement;

8. Intelligence capacity building;

9. Building Forensic capacity in Regional Law enforcement;

10. Law enforcement initiatives to sustain community policing;

11. The impact of crime on regional tourism.

12. Crime and its impact on Regional development – challenges and implications

13. Law enforcement and issues of Human Rights

Presenters at the conference included:

1. Professor Anthony Harriott, UWI,

2. Dr. Judith Mowatt, Director of Jamaica Forensics Laboratory;

3. Ambassador Alexandre Addor-Neto, Secretary for Multidemsional security – OAS;

4. Mr. Grantley Watson; RSS Regional Security Coordinator; Retired Commissioner of Police & Attorney-at-law;

5. Mr. Orville Durant, Retired Commissioner of Police & Attorney at law

6. Mr. David Asante- Apeatu, Interpol;

7. Dr. Jasmin Garraway; Director, Tourism Planning Associates;

8. Mr. Ruel Reid, Principal Jamaica College and Former President Jamaica Teachers’ Association;

9. Mr. Vito Guarino , Drug Enforcement Administration;

10. Mr. Hartley Reid, Interim Chairman of Caribbean Federation of Police Association;

11. Mr. Lynell Nolan, Interim President of Caribbean Regional Private Security Association.

1. Crime

The conference noted the deleterious effect that crime and violence was having on several facets of development in the region. It was noted that without security there can be no social, political or economic development. There was general agreement that much of the current crime and violence in the Region was driven by drug trafficking, firearms trafficking and the use of illegal firearms. The conference noted the growing evidence of persons being left behind in the social, political, educational and economic landscapes. In some countries this has led to a population shift from the country to the city where there is the offer of more opportunities. It has been predicted that some of the fall out from this pattern of behaviour will be high unemployment, the formation of gangs and the increase in both property and violent crime.

Participants agreed that due to the multifaceted nature of crime, there was a commensurate need for a range of multi-dimensional responses to the challenge. Some of the identified responses suggested a mix of law enforcement, economic support and social interventions. It was further determined that there was a greater role for the ACCP to play in articulating the current concerns within law enforcement, as well as being a more visible actor in the development and application of solutions to the current situation within the Region. The conference was in agreement that an arrangement must be introduced whereby the ACCP will be afforded direct access to the CARICOM Heads as this interaction is critical to a fuller understanding of the issues that impact national and regional security.

2. Crime and its impact on Tourism

The Caribbean was described as the most tourism dependant economy in the world. It was within this context that concern was raised about the low level of coordination and cooperation between private security and law enforcement on security related issues. There was also discussion on some of the gaps that hinder the establishment of a formal response to the challenges that currently affect the tourism industry. Some of those identified were:

1) Inadequate or no formal policing mechanisms directed to the tourism sector;

2) No institutionalized responses from the National Tourism Organisations;

3) Little emphasis on data collection on crime against tourists;

4) Inadequate and informal victims support systems; and

5) Few dedicated tourism policing support mechanisms

It was however noted that some countries including Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and St. Lucia have dedicated systems in place to address some of these issues.

3. Drug Trends in the Caribbean

The conference noted that the Caribbean was still being used as a transshipment point for drugs from South America to North America and Europe. It was further noted that a noticeable change in trend was the increasing use of fishing boats to transport illegal drugs within the Caribbean maritime space. The conference also noted the shift in drug routes from South America to Western Africa, with Europe as the final destination.

There was also agreement that success in dismantling established drug networks was being hindered by an inadequate legislative framework that limits the ability to pursue the confiscation of assets without a predicate offence being established and the use of a legislative basis to intercept communications.

4. Firearms Crimes

There was agreement that firearms enabled crime was an intractable problem that has a direct nexus with drug trafficking. It was noted that lack of capacity to detect the movement of illicit firearms through established ports of entry is another contributing factor to the firearms problem. It was further stated that there is a need to enhance security at ports of entry by installing electronic container scanners. The conference also noted that among the initiatives to be pursued by the ACCP is the development of a Firearms Reduction Strategy by each member state. A significant component of this strategy will be collaboration between the police and the wider community to identify creative approaches to counter the growing drug culture.

5. Maintaining ethical standards in law enforcement

The conference noted the negative impact that unethical conduct was having on law enforcement in the Region. There was agreement that a lack of ethical standards will continue to lead to distrust of police officers, the further erosion of public confidence and the retention of pockets of tension between the police and individual communities.

It was stated that some of the processes considered in an effort to identify the causes of corruption among police officers were:

• Review of the recruitment process;
• Lack of proportionality as it relates to payment;
• Lack of accountability; and
• Improper vetting mechanism.

The conference was told that some of the approaches being considered in the development of solutions to the problem of unethical conduct among police officers are:

• Need to clearly define standards required of personnel;
• Managers leading by example;
• Hiring of qualified police officers;
• Offering support to those officers who are considered to be whistle blowers; and
• Early intervention to identify and remove those persons who are failing as ethical officers.

6. Recruitment and Retention

There was agreement that the continuing high turn over rate among police officers in the Region was a matter of critical concern and must be given higher priority on the regional security Agenda as it has implications for national and regional security.

7. Training

The FBI offered to make training available to the Region, in the following areas:

• Cyber Investigation;
• Bullet Trajectory Investigation;
• Asset forfeiture and confiscation;
• Evidence Response; and
• Intelligence collection and analysis on gang related activity

It was also noted that the Canadian High Commission to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean had made an offer to provide training for about eight (8) police officers over the next 2 years in polygraph testing. The selection of officers who will undergo this training will commence within a few weeks.

8. Gender Issues

In recognizing the important role that females continue to play in the development of law enforcement, it noted that the ability to recruit females in greater numbers was being adversely impacted by the fact that in most regional jurisdictions, physical accommodations did not provide adequate comfort for female officers. It was further noted that greater attention must be given to the need to appropriately balance the competing interests of work and family life of female police officers. Mention was also made of the fact that there are no restrictions on opportunities for upward mobility among females.

9. Use of Technology in investigations

The conference noted that there still some deficit in capacity to trace firearms and ballistics identification. It was agreed that there can be development of this capacity through the acquisition of a Regional Integrated Ballistics Identification System.

10. DNA Capacity

There was agreement that the Region currently has DNA capacity in Barbados , Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. It was further noted that there is a need to harmonize these arrangements in the interest of the further development of economies of scale, to maximise the use of limited financial resources and improve the turn around time in the production of analysts’ reports.

11. Research

It was stated that there is immediate need to develop research capacity in regional law enforcement, as increasingly, more emphasis was being placed on evidence based solutions.

12. School based violence

It was stated that school based violence was a significant problem in Jamaica. It was noted that there was a direct correlation between violence in schools and the absence of parents or positive role models in the lives of children who displayed a propensity for violence. In this regard, some of the intervention strategies that are being considered include the development of parenting skills; the early identification of at risk youths; the development of diversion programmes; helping young persons to develop dispute resolution skills; and building more wholesome communities.

13. Police Associations

In reaffirming its support for the Caribbean Federation of Police Associations and the Caribbean Women Police Association, the ACCP noted that Police Associations in the Caribbean have valuable contributions to make to the development of law enforcement. It was further noted that the continued development of harmonious and productive relationships between managers of police forces and members of the various police associations is critical to the further development of law enforcement and the achievement of organisational goals.

14. Issues in law enforcement and Human Rights

There was agreement that one of the primary roles of law enforcement is the affirmative protection of the individual rights of all citizens. In this regard, a commitment was made to continue training police officers in issues of human rights.

Agreements and Recommendations

The conference considered and agreed to the following:

1) There is immediate need for the development of protocols and other arrangements that will facilitate direct interaction between ACCP and CARICOM Heads;

2) Commissioners of Police will continue their commitment to the implementation of the Plan of Action as agreed to at the Extraordinary General Meeting in Guyana April 2008, to the extent as supported by available funds and resources;

3) There is an immediate need for the development of functional cooperation between police forces within the Caribbean ;

4) There is need for the immediate restoration of the criminal justice system to the process of Regional Development;

5) All police Forces in the Region will pursue the development of Sexual Harassment Policies;

6) All police Forces in the Region will pursue the development of Firearms Reductions Strategies;

7) The Bermuda Police Service’s Strategy on Ethical Conduct will be adapted as a template for the development of similar policies to guide ethical conduct in other Caribbean police Forces;

8) ACCP will develop a Business Plan to facilitate access to funding for training as offered by the Canadian High Commission for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean;

9) There is need for urgent improvement of the current stock of physical accommodation for police officers, as the poor state of most police stations constrains the ability of the Region to recruit female officers in greater numbers;

10) There is need to enhance security at ports of entry by using modern technology that includes electronic container scanners;

11) There is significant deficit in the research capacity in regional law enforcement;

12) There must be the development of capacity to trace firearms and identify ballistics through the acquisition of a Regional Integrated Ballistics Identification System;

13) There must be the harmonization of current DNA and forensic capacity in the Region such that there will be greater economies of scale and improvement in investigative output through a more timely access to Analysts’ Reports;

14) There must be an establishment of an accredited Regional Training Institution and the further development of research capacity which are critical to the enhancement of regional law enforcement;

15) ACCP will continue to collaborate with INTERPOL for the delivery of training that will further develop the intelligence management capability of the Region;

16) There must be the immediate development of intervention strategies to respond to the growing culture of violence in schools;

17) ACCP will continue to continue to collaborate with the International Red Cross Society for the further development of training of police officers in matters pertaining to Human Rights;

18) Being cognizant of the threat of climate change and the inherent threat of other disasters, ACCP will undertake to continue training its members in critical areas such as Disaster Management (Response and Recovery).

19) ACCP will continue to maintain alliances with international agencies for the purpose of sharing information on matters pertaining to the development of best practices in general and law enforcement in particular; and

20) The issue of recruitment and retention of police officers must be afforded greater priority on the Regional security agenda as it holds significant implications for regional security.

Prepared by the ACCP Secretariat 21/5/2008

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