SVGPF looking at ways to combat human trafficking

A two-day stakeholders’ meeting was held last week to formulate a national plan of action to combat human trafficking.{{more}}

On Tuesday and Wednesday, members of the hierarchy of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), along with personnel of the Gender Affairs and Labour departments and the Ministry of Health convened at the Central Police Station conference room for this meeting.

The Police Force was represented by Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Michael Charles, acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Frankie Joseph, and representatives of the organization’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and Public Relations & Complaints Department.

The meeting, facilitated by Chissey Mueller, project manager of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Port of Spain, was also held to formulate a plan of action for 2013 and to establish a national working group on human trafficking to work in conjunction with the national task force on human trafficking.

The meeting decided to incorporate human trafficking into the RSVGPF Police Training Manual.

Speaking of the achievements into sensitizing Vincentians about human trafficking, head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Assistant Superintendent of Police Ruth Jacobs said to date, her unit has taken the message of human trafficking to 4,129 students and 270 teachers on the leeward side of the country, as well as health centres there.

She stated that plans are in place to also conduct an awareness programme at schools and health centres on the Windward side of St Vincent, as well as the Grenadines.

In June 2012, this country was removed from the United States Tier 2 Watch List of the Trafficking in Persons Report and was placed on the Tier 2 Country list, where countries are making significant efforts to address the problem of human trafficking.