Present at the meeting were Commissioners from Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos Islands. Bermuda and Jamaica were represented by their respective Deputy Commissioners.
Apologies for absence were received from the Commissioners of Police of Anguilla, Aruba, Grenada and United States Virgin Islands.
At the Opening Ceremony, the Acting Commissioner of Barbados, Mr. Birdie Hinds welcomed participants and reminded the Commissioners that the focus of this inter-sessional meeting was the delivery of community based policing and combating organised crime for the survival of the region. The President of the ACCP, Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, QPM, MBA in his brief remarks said that he was pleased for the ACCP to be here in Barbados to discuss with partners regional crime issues and the importance of partnerships in crime fighting.
HE Ruth Archibald, the Canadian High Commissioner in her remarks expressed the importance of police training and that Canada had funded a recent senior command course. Mr Phil Culligan, Deputy British High Commissioner Barbados identified the importance of donor country coordination and the importance of partnerships in fighting crime. Mr Christopher Sandrolini, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the United States Barbados identified the importance of the role of the ACCP in coordinating regional crime fighting efforts.
The key note address by the Hon. Adriel Braithwaite MP, Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Barbados stressed the importance of engaging strategic partners in the fight against crime. His comprehensive and wide ranging address covered drug and firearms trafficking, seizing criminal assets, the need for effective witness protection program, videotaping of suspect interviews, witness engagement, intelligence sharing, community policing and schools programmes, complaints against police and police integrity.
In the plenary sessions of the meeting the following was presented and discussed:
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Community based policing and its impact on community safety
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Regional approach to dealing with organised crime and attendant challenges
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Obtaining forensic evidence from bank notes and other items
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A framework for regional cooperation for training and development
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A regional approach to ethics and integrity education
The meeting received reports from:
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Carnival Cruise Lines and Cruise Lines International Association on crimes committed on board cruise ships
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Regional Security System
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Drug Enforcement Administration
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Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
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Serious and Organised Crime Agency
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US Department of State INL
Among the topics/subject areas presented and discussed at the business sessions were:
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Minutes of the 26th AGM of the ACCP held in Antigua and Barbuda in 9th-12th May 2011;
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Secretary/Treasurer Financial Report;
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Review of ACCP Permanent Secretariat;
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Post of Secretariat Manager;
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Proposal for a new IT Environment at the Permanent Secretariat;
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Discussion on 2012 Conference to be held in the Bahamas 21st – 25th May, 2012.
During the meeting Mr. Arnaldo Martinez, Systems Sales Manager Caribbean Region of Motorola Solutions Inc awarded ten scholarships to the under-mentioned children of police officers in the Caribbean:
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Kerry-Ann Jacobs Antigua & Barbuda
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Hermon Harewood Barbados
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Jason Wilkinson Barbados
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Jamika Yearwood Barbados
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Lybron Sobers Barbados
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Ranaldo Sealey Barbados
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Michelle-Ann Segura Belize
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Calber Francis Jr Jamaica
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Chamion Golding Jamaica
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Kerlyn Williams St. Christopher & Nevis
The ACCP is deeply indebted to the Government of Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Force in providing assistance to the ACCP Permanent Secretariat who organised the meeting and to the Divi Southwinds Resort for the venue.
