Thirteen Guyanese law enforcement officers are attending a series of United States (US) sponsored training courses from May 13 to June 28 in Port of Spain, at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Police Academy.
A release from the US embassy said that through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), instructors from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are conducting the training courses. In these courses, participants develop their skills relating to criminal gang and organised crime investigations; intelligence gathering for law enforcement; and crime scene investigations.
US Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt recently met with the first group of Guyanese law enforcement officers participating in the training when he toured the TTPS Police Academy as part of a visit to Trinidad and Tobago. The ambassador expressed appreciation to the TTPS for facilitating Guyana’s participation in the training as this was the first time Guyana has sent students to the Trinidad-based Academy.
According to the release, the ambassador told participants that “criminals operate across borders, and law enforcement agencies must be equally nimble if they are to remain effective in combating criminal activity.”
Hardt pointed out that the expansion of regional training programmes and regional centres of excellence is a primary goal of the CBSI — the ongoing security partnership between the Caribbean and the United States, launched by US President Barack Obama at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009.
Such cooperation allows for more capacity building training to be delivered at lower cost. More importantly, it helps build personal connections among Caribbean law enforcement agencies that are essential to combating transnational criminal activity.
The release said that CBSI partners have agreed on the importance of expanding regional training and developing regional centres of excellence. This FBI provided training reflects the US commitment to implement the CBSI and develop region’s capacity to enhance training in broad range of areas for law enforcement officials throughout the region.
The US embassy said that this partnership exemplifies the regional cooperation that is at the heart of the CBSI’s success and sustainability. The CBSI partnership with the Caribbean is seen as a cornerstone of an integrated, multilateral hemispheric security strategy that seeks to enhance citizen security, promote social justice, and combat illicit trafficking.
