LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING HOW PLEASED I AM TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS WITH YOU AT THIS 22^ND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE.

I ALSO WISH TO ADD MY PERSONAL GREETINGS AND WELCOME YOU THE COMMISSIONERS FROM AROUND THE CARIBBEAN, AND OTHER DELEGATES AND PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE GATHERED FOR THIS WEEK LONG CONFERENCE.

I TRUST THAT YOUR STAY THUS FAR HAS BEEN PRODUCTIVE, AND THAT YOU HAVE HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY YOURSELVES AND EXPERIENCE THE EXCITING SHORES OF THE BAHAMAS.

 IT WOULD BE REMISE OF ME NOT TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE MR. PAUL FARQUHARSON ON HIS RECENT ELECTION AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE IACP (INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE).

YOUR THEME FOR THIS CONFERENCE, "LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIPS: IMPERATIVES FOR SUCCESS", IS INDEED A TIMELY ONE AND IS INDICATIVE OF THE WAY FORWARD. IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE FORGE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

WHEN I THINK OF A PARTNERSHIP, I THINK OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT REPRESENTS TOTAL COMMITMENT AND DEVOTION. CLEAR AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION. COMPROMISE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. AND OF COURSE FIDELITY.

PARTNERSHIP CONJURES UP THE VISION OF A BOND THAT IS LASTING AND MEANINGFUL. ABSENCE OF OR THE PERCEIVED ABSENCE OF ANY ONE OF THE MENTIONED ATTRIBUTES CAN BE DETRIMENTAL AND EVEN RESULT IN SWIFT DISSOLUTION OF THE UNION.

COMMISSIONERS, AND OTHER DELEGATES, YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN OR AFFILIATION WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE, AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, IS SYMBOLIC OF THIS SPECIAL BOND.

THE MISSION OF THE ACCP STATES THAT THIS DISTINGUISHED BODY IS THE PRINCIPAL REGIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR PROMOTING AND FACILITATING:

IN EVERY COUNTRY WE HEAR OF VARYING TYPES OF ASSAULTS, BURGLARIES, RAPES, MURDERS, DRUG-RELATED INCIDENTS, AND CYBER AND FINANCIAL CRIMES THAT ARE COMMITTED.

OUR PROBLEMS ARE COMMON PROBLEMS AND OUR ANNUAL CRIME STATISTICS ARE QUITE SIMILAR IN THEIR MAKE UP.

WHAT DISTINGUISHES OUR NATIONS FROM ONE ANOTHER IS PERHAPS, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE AFFECTS OF THE VARIOUS CRIMES IMPACT UPON THE SOCIAL DESIGN OF OUR NATION STATES.

THE HARSH REALITY IS THAT CRIME IN THE CARIBBEAN REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE WORLD’S TOTAL CRIME STATISTICS. 

THIS MEANS THAT WHILE WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN OUR REGIONAL CRIME FIGHTING INITIATIVES AND COOPERATION, SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF CRIME ARE STILL BEING COMMITTED THAT CAUSE US TO BE DETECTED ON THE GLOBAL RADAR.

ACCORDING TO AN ONLINE PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT BLOG BY THE WORLD BANK DATED MAY 8^TH 2007, CARIBBEAN NATIONS HAVE THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MURDER RATES – 30 PER 100,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY.

THIS SAME SOURCE ALSO STATES THAT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS COMMONPLACE, WITH 48 PERCENT REPORTING THEIR "SEXUAL INITIATION" AS FORCED.

AND THE RATE OF KIDNAPPINGS IN THE REGION IS ON THE RISE. DESPITE THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS BEING MADE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT, IF YOU WILL, BETWEEN THE EFFORTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE ACCOMPANING RESOLVE BY OTHER ARMS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

THERE IS A DIRE NEED FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE BAIL ACT TO BE REVISED IN MANY OF OUR COUNTRIES.

THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE AN ENORMOUS GARGANTUAN GAP IN THE NUMBEROUS COMPONENT PARTS OF THE SYSTEM.

THERE IS A NEED FOR THE VARIOUS ARMS OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO DOVE TAIL WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THAT THOSE WHO ARE, "SOBERLY ACCUSED OF SHOOTINGS AND MURDER, ARE NOT IMPUSIVELY RELEASED ON BAIL AND ARE THEREBY FREE TO KILL AGAIN", ACCORDING TO A REGIONAL LOBBY GROUP. 

THE TRANSHIPMENT OF DRUGS AND NARCOTICS ALSO CONTINUES TO A VEXING PROBLEM FOR MANY OF SISTER COUNTRIES.  

WHILE MANY US MUST BE APPLAUDED FOR THE RECENT COLLABORATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLAMPING DOWN ON MAJOR DRUG CARTELS WE MUST NOT BECOME SLUGGISH IN THIS AGE OLD BATTLE.

THE NEED FOR PARTNERSHIPS, OR FOR CO-DEPENDENCY, IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS NOW MORE THAN EVER. 

CRIMINAL ELEMENTS ARE NOT LIMITED OR DISCOURAGED BY ANY BOUNDARIES. 

IN FACT, THEY SEEM TO BE MORE REVERED BY THEIR PEERS WHEN THEY CAN DEFY PHYSICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, LINGUAL, FINANCIAL OR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.  

FOR THEM IT IS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

THE CRIME TREND NUMBERS WITHIN THE CARIBBEAN CANNOT BE IGNORED. 

IN MY MIND, SUCCESS IN CRIME FIGHTING STRATEGIES IN ANY ONE OF OUR CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AFFECTS ALL COUNTRIES.

SIMILARLY, A CRIME SURGE IN ANY ONE COUNTRY ALSO AFFECTS US ALL.

WHILE THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT WE ARE OUR BROTHERS KEEPERS, WE ARE STILL BEING TOO SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO AND WHAT IS BEING KEPT. 

TRUTH BE TOLD THERE ARE STILL MANY OF OUR SISTER COUNTRIES WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN THE CRIME FIGHT AND NEED OUR HELP.

BODIES SUCH AS THE ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE MUST CONTINUE TO EXIST AND PROVIDE THE FORUM FOR PARTNERSHIPS TO BE CREATED AND NURTURED.

AS YOUR MANDATE SUGGESTS THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL AS THEY CONTINUE TO HELP BY PROVIDING A PROFESSIONAL FORUM WHERE YOU CAN SHARE AND BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER’S SUCCESSES AND FAILURES, AND PROVIDE A CONDUIT THAT FACILITATES THE SHARING OF INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE.

PARTNERSHIPS HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE A FORMIDABLE WEB OF COUNTRIES THAT IS CRIME-PROOF AND DISCOURAGES THE HARBOURING OF CRIMINAL ELEMENTS.

AS CRIME MANAGERS IN YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES, YOU MUST KEEP A KEEN EYE ON TRENDS AND PATTERNS SURFACING AND WHEN NECESSARY LEAN ON EACH OTHER AND COLLECTIVELY TACKLE THE PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE REGION.

IF WE WERE TO TAKE ONE PACE BACK INTO OUR VARIOUS POLICE FORCES I AM SURE WE ARE AWARE OF NUMEROUS SUCCESS STORIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS MADE BY OUR HARDWORKING OFFICERS, FROM COMMUNITY POLICING INITIATIVES IN THE BAHAMAS TO SERGEANT MICHAEL MONTAQUE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THIS INFORMATION? 

ARE WE BURYING THESE ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FILES OF OUR DEPARTMENTS?

THIS PARTNERSHIP DEMANDS AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP WITH ACTIVE LINES OF COMMUNICATION BY ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. 

FROM ANGUILLA TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, WE MUST BE HONEST AND OPEN ABOUT LOCAL CRIME TRENDS, IN ORDER THAT A QUICK, RELEVANT AND RESOLUTE RESPONSE CAN BE MADE.

IN REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THERE IS NO PLACE FOR DOWN PLAYING THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS CRIME CAUSES. 

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR MEN, OUR WOMEN, OUR CHILDREN, OUR ELDERLY, THE CHURCH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ARE BEING ATTACKED AND THEY ARE EARNESTLY LOOKING TO YOU FOR HELP.

THEREFORE, ANY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR REGION OR THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER SHOULD BE REGARDED AS PRICELESS GEMS TO BE APPRECIATED BY ALL AND SUNDRY. 

NO ONE PERSON, OR COUNTRY, SHOULD HAVE THE MONOPOLY ON SUCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE WAR THAT WE WAGE IS AN INTERNATIONAL ONE AND THE LONG ARM OF CRIME IS FAR REACHING. 

COMMISSIONERS, DELEGATES AND OBSERVERS, I URGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK STRONG AND SPEAK LOUD WITH ONE RESOUNDING VOICE THAT WE ARE RESTORING OUR COUNTRIES BACK BY ANY LAWFUL MEANS NECESSARY.