Police Anti-trafficking Unit celebrates 10th anniversary

The Anti-trafficking in Persons Unit (ATIPU) of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) will commemorate its tenth anniversary on April 7, 2022, under the theme: “I deserve to be free. Don’t traffick and exploit me”. The Unit was established under the leadership of former Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller on March 7, 2012, and launched on April 7, 2012. It is located at the Questelles Police Station.

A release explains that the ATIPU is a specialised unit within the RSVGPF that has the mandate to investigate and treat with all matters concerning human trafficking.

To mark this milestone, the head of the ATIPU, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Junior Simmons said that the unit will hold one week of activities which includes: presentation of a virtual lecture on April 7, by Dr. Jason Haynes, Deputy Dean of Academic Studies and Research, UWI, Cave Hill Campus, entitled “Human Trafficking in St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Confronting the past, preparing for the Future”.

The lecture would be streamed live on the Facebook pages of the RSVGPF, the Agency for Public Information (API), the National Broadcasting
Corporation, and the Anti-trafficking in Persons Unit and on the API’s You-Tube Channel.

Other programmes are, a Human Trafficking Prevention exhibition at the car park adjacent to the Ministerial Building in Kingstown from 9:30 a.m. on April 8; and a “Walk against trafficking” on April 9 which will commence at 7:00 a.m. from the Central Police Station in Kingstown and end at the Arnos Vale-2 playing Field to which the public is invited to participate.

On Sunday, April 10 the Unit’s staff will worship at the Kingstown Baptist Church and on Monday, April 11, a symposium will be held for journalists and other media practitioners on ‘Understanding Human Trafficking’.

Lectures in schools will take place on April 12, and in churches on Wednesday, April 13. COVID-19 protocols would be observed during the activities.