Georgetown: The local law enforcement community was further strengthened when several officers attached to agencies under the umbrella of the Home Affairs Ministry returned from overseas training. This is part of ongoing efforts to boost the capacity of these agencies, which included the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU); the Guyana Police Force (GPF); Guyana Prison Service and the Ministry itself.
Head of CANU, James Singh, along with a Technical Officer, Sanjay Shew, attended overseas forums in the first week of March. Singh attended a conference in St Lucia on March 4 to 6 that focused on promoting closer regional cooperation and building regional knowledge of trafficking. During the forum, participants shared experiences and discussed future targeting.
Shew went to the 20th Annual Regional Drug Commanders Conference on March 3, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This forum was used to identify strategies to combat illegal drug trafficking and develop cooperation among managers. In addition, focus was placed on conducting criminal investigations and collecting intelligence on major trafficking organisations operating within the Caribbean.
The Police Force saw six officers travelling overseas for training exercises. Detective Sergeant Sherlock Houston of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) attended a training course on Drug Trafficking for Police Officers in Italy from March 3 to 14, during which the development of contrasting techniques against drug trafficking was examined.
Detective Corporal Mahendra Thuknauth of the CID had attended the “Precursor Chemicals Course” from March 10 to 21, in Jamaica. The course provided a full understanding of precursor chemicals, how they are diverted into illegal markets, and the manufacturing process of illegal drugs. Participants were also educated on the regional and international laws and regulations governing the movement and enforcement controls of precursor chemicals and the implications for money laundering and asset forfeiture. Superintendent of Police Errol Watts went to an international conference during the period March 17 and 20 in Kerala, India, which shared enforcement experiences and research findings, while Detective Corporal Quanza Bagot participated in an “Advanced Narcotics Investigation Course” from April 28 to May 9 in Jamaica. The course is designed to provide a full understanding of the techniques used in drug law enforcement thereby enhancing drug enforcement officers’ ability to conduct thorough professional investigations.
In the area of armoury management, Corporal Handel Moses attended the Second Regional Armoury Management Training Course (AMC) for Caribbean States from April 28 to May 9 in Trinidad and Tobago. The course aimed to bolster the capacities of Government armourers in the specific technical skills and management processes necessary for the safe, effective and efficient accounting, inspection, repair, maintenance, storage, security, and destruction of firearms and ammunition.
The Police top brass also strengthened their capacity, with acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud attending the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police’s 29th Annual General Meeting and Conference in Trinidad and Tobago from April 28 to May 1. The Conference saw policy-makers, technocrats, and practitioners gathered to discuss a more collaborative and cooperative approach to law enforcement-related issues while sharing experiences and initiatives undertaken.
Prison Service ranks also attended overseas training: Chief Officer Gornall George, acting Chief Officer Christine George, and Cadet Officer Deoraj Guyandat. They participated in a Corrections Institutional Management Course that was held in March 23 to 29, in Nebraska, USA, which centred on increasing capacity to operate juvenile detention facilities that are safe, secure, humane and transparent.
From the Home Affairs Ministry, two persons were sent on overseas training. Coordinator of the Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Contraband, Floyd Mc Donald, went to a Preparatory Conference for the 11th Conference of Defence Ministries of the Americas in Peru from March 6 to 7.
Research Officer Tabitha Barnwell then attended the Regional Conference for the Americas on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development from April 28 to 30, in La Antigua, Guatemala. During this Conference, participants discussed the integration of armed violence reduction and prevention into national, regional and international development processes.
