Commissioner of Police of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) Colin John is the new president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP). Commissioner John was elected at the association’s 34th Annual Conference which was hosted by the Royal Cayman Island Police Service at the Marriott Beach Resort in Grand Cayman from May 21 – 24, 2019 under the theme “Improving Regional Policing Effectiveness in a Changing World”.

Commissioner John is the first Vincentian to be elected as president of this august law enforcement body. In commenting on his elevation to the presidency of the ACCP, John stated “I feel very humbled and honoured to be leading the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police at this time. I wish to thank my colleagues for the confidence they have reposed in me. During my tenure, my focus will be on increasing intra-agency networking between all of the agencies with the ACCP and also with other non- law enforcement stakeholders. Further, with the cooperation of my colleagues, I will seek to advance on the association’s past and current programmes in placing more emphasis on tackling transnational organized crimes not just in our region but with a focus on international cooperation because the ACCP is a sister organization of the International Association of Commissioners of Police (IACP)”.

During the conference, several topics were dealt with including: Current and Emerging Global Crime Trends in Policing in a Digital Age; Transnational Organized Crime: a growing threat to Regional Security in the Digital Age; Challenges and Opportunities for Prosecuting in a Digital Age; Building Digital Forensic Hub Capabilities: The Impact of Extremism Migration on Law Enforcement and Communities; 21st Century Policing: Border Protection: Working in Partnerships to stem the incidence of Gun Violence in the region: Promoting awareness of Domestic Violence among Law Enforcement Practitioners; Effective Strategies for addressing Youth Violence and Suicide and Leadership Challenges.

Commissioner John’s tenure will last for one year and will come to and in 2020 at the association next conference. The other members of the executive are: Commissioner Steve Foster of Montserrat, 1st Vice President; Commissioner Atlee Rodney of Antigua and Barbuda, 2nd Vice President; Commissioner Severin Monchery of St. Lucia, Secretary/Treasury. The immediate past president is Commissioner Ian Queeley of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The ACCP was formerly established in 1987 and currently comprises of Commissioners of Police/Chiefs of Police from 25 Caribbean countries including; Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, French Antilles, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.