A senior United States official Monday said operational successes require sustained intelligence sharing, technical expertise, and the kind of trust that only comes from working side-by-side over time.
Addressing the five-day regional workshop jointly facilitated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL),
Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in T&T, Michael Fitzpatrick, urged participants in a firearms trafficking workshop to make the most of networking and joint training experiences to better address gun crime in the region.
“Operational successes require sustained intelligence sharing, technical expertise, and the kind of trust that only comes from working side-by-side over time. This workshop is about operationalising what we know and ensuring that when the next shipment arrives, when the next network emerges, we are ready.”
He said that over the next five days, the participants “will learn about emerging threats and how to defeat them.
“You will build on regional collaboration on all aspects of the investigation and prosecution processes. Make the most of it. Make the most of each other.
“Defeating them requires exactly what we see in this room. Professionals who understand tracing, who know how to build prosecutable cases, and who can pick up the phone and reach a trusted counterpart in another country,” he added..
Trinidad and Tobago Defence Ministers, Wayne Sturge said that the firearms crisis and the distinction matters “because problems can be managed incrementally, while crises demand a very different type and quality of response.
“It is that quality of response which brings us here today. The illegal trafficking of firearms continues to be the engine behind gang violence, organised criminal networks and serious violent crime across our region.
“What was once treated as a domestic law enforcement challenge has become something far more complex, transnational in reach, adaptive in method and increasingly sophisticated in use of technology,” Sturge told the participants.
Sturge said cooperation is vital requiring also intelligence, innovation, and strong partnerships. He said through collaboration and capacity building, the government continues to strengthen the security architecture of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region.
Sturge said this workshop brings together regional and international stakeholders to strengthen the collective response to illicit firearms trafficking, transnational organised crime, and emerging security threats, and commended CARICOM IMPACS and all participating agencies for their commitment to advancing regional security and building safer communities for citizens. —PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC)
