COMMISSIONER OF POLICE of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), Colin John presided over his last meeting as president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) in the Bahamas last month.

This was during the 36th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association which was convened in Nassau from May 30-June 3 under the theme: “Maximising Partnerships to Mitigate Transnational Organized Crime in the era of COVID-19”, a release from the RSVGPF states.

Commissioner John was first elected to lead the ACCP in May, 2019.

Because the ACCP constitution does not permit a member to serve for more than four years in the same position, he was ineligible for re-election.

The ACCP, established in 1987, currently comprises Commissioners of Police/Chiefs of Police from 25 Caribbean countries, namely: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,Bermuda, the 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 Island. During this year’s AGM, video messages were received from the Director of International Affairs of the UAE Ministry of Interior; and the president of INTERPOL (International Police Organisation),Major General Ahmed Al Raisi.

Host Commissioner of Police, Paul Rolle delivered welcome remarks; while the president of the International Association of Commissioners of Police (IACP), David Rausch, delivered remarks on behalf of that organisation; and the Prime Minister of the Bahamas Phillip E. Davis, Q.C, delivered the keynote address.

Commissioner John in his address, thanked the government of the Bahamas for hosting the conference and the stakeholders and partners for their support and collaboration during his presidency. He emphasized the need for continuous networking between law enforcement and other critical stakeholders to maximize the partnership to tackle transnational organized crime, among other things.

The release adds that during the plenary session, several important security topics and subject matters were presented and discussed including:Transnational Organized Crime; an Analysis of Global Threat, trends and emerging trends in

the COVID Era; the Role of the Diplomatic Security/ Regional Security Officer in the Caribbean in Stemming Transnational Organized Crime; Drug Trafficking in the Era of COVID: An Analysis Solutions and Technologies for Public Safety; Incorporating Social Media into Criminal Investigations ; Emerging Technologies in Law Enforcement; Digital Transformation and Modernization of Investigations; Law Enforcement Administration Development; and Effective Management; Police Operations, and Emerging Trends in Cybercrime and the use of Technology to stymie the Trend.

Besides the Commissioners of Police/Chiefs of Police who were in attendance, representatives and other key stakeholders from other agencies/organizations also participated in the AGM and Conference.

Among them were: the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executive; the Regional Security System (RSS); CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS); Crime Stoppers Bahamas; the Caribbean Federation of Police Welfare Associations (CFPWA); the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Bureau of International Narcotics.

The new executive elected to chart the way for the ACCP is headed by Commissioner Steve Foster of Montserrat as president; Commissioner of Grenada Edvin Martin, who is first vice president; Commissioner Trevor Botting of the Turks and Caicos Islands, second vice president; and Commissioner of the RSVGPF, Colin John as immediate past president and Secretary/Treasurer.

The AGM and Conference aims to support the mission and objectives of the ACCP by fostering regional cooperation through the development and implementation of policing strategies, systems, and procedures; the development of professional and technical skills of police officers and to identify proactive measures to prevent crime and improve police-community relations.

The 2023 AGM and Conference is tentatively scheduled to take place in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.