ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - A senior official at the Trinidad-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) says intelligence networks available to regional governments and their agencies are underutilised.
Tonya Ayow“Today, I’m humbly petitioning that political and senior leadership encourage personnel to use the CARICOM framework for security through CARICOM IMPACS and RSS (Regional Security System) and others and especially, to use the CARICOM IMPACS Joint Regional Communications Centre and its Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre more for your benefit,” said Tonya Ayow, the Deputy Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS.
Addressing a national workshop that ends on Wednesday, Ayow said when the systems that are in place are underutilised, it results in those involved in the illicit trade in firearms becoming better at what they do.
She said this is coupled with the lack of information sharing and appealed to stakeholders to utilise what is available to them to help place a dent in organised crime.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Public Safety, Immigration and Labour, Sir Steadroy Benjamin, told the workshop that criminal enterprises are using the vulnerabilities that exist at sea, through cargo and at ports of entry to traffic guns, drugs and people.
He said that a coordinated approach is necessary to combat rising gun crimes that have become a national security crisis.
“We cannot fight these battles alone. It is a fight that no single agency, no single island and no single government can win by itself,” Sir Steadroy told the workshop hosted by his ministry in collaboration with the CARICOM IMPACS.
The workshop brings together key regional and international agencies to discuss strategies aimed at disrupting organised crime and firearm gangs throughout the region.
