The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS) continues to intensify its efforts to combat gun violence and crime across the region by hosting a 3-day workshop in Grenada.
This sensitisation and awareness workshop underscores Caricom’s commitment to enhancing public safety and security for all member states through gun and crime prevention initiatives. The region has been grappling with escalating gun-related crimes, which pose significant threats to the safety and well-being of citizens. In response, Caricom IMPACS has been working tirelessly in partnership with the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), to host the sensitisation and awareness workshop on the Caricom Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) for Grenada’s government officials, law enforcement officers, forensic scientists and customs officials.
In his welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister and Chairman of Caricom Honourable Dickon Mitchell noted that “Collaborating with the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) is extremely important to curb the flow of illegal firearms in the wider Caricom Region.”
The CGIU was launched in November 2022 to bolster the Caribbean’s capability to tackle the illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition.
The presence and participation of representatives from the United States of America, and in particular the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), also received noteworthy mention by the Prime Minister. He emphasised the importance of collaboration of this nature, especially as the evidence seems to suggest that 95% of the firearms already confiscated originate from North America.
The Sensitisation and Awareness workshop continues until Wednesday, 28 August 2024, and will explore the role Caricom Member States play in sharing information and intelligence with the CGIU.
Office of the Prime Minister
The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS) is the Caricom institution responsible for coordinating regional security initiatives. Caricom IMPACS provides policy advice and technical support to member states in crime prevention, law enforcement, and security cooperation.
