The government will support the security services’ efforts to find and imprison gang members by conducting Advanced Counter Gang Training in conjunction with the United States.
The program is designed to develop skills for an inter-agency approach to investigations, prosecutions, and the overall deconstruction of transnational organized criminal groups functioning in Jamaica. The first will begin on March 30 at The University of the West Indies, and the second will take place in April. It will include in-person sessions.
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Representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Finance, and Public Service, as well as the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Major Organized Crime Agency, will take part.
A variety of themes, including gang identification, financial investigation, prison intelligence collecting, victim and witness care, digital crime, and trial preparation will be covered in the training’s online instructional materials.
The initiative is the most recent example of the United States government’s ongoing support of regional crime-fighting objectives.
Police Commissioner Antony Anderson, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, US Ambassador Nick Perry, and other officials were present for the launch on Thursday at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters. Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, Finance and Public Service Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke, and others also attended.
Chuck praised the proposal and said that the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction, and Regulation) Act’s passing last year shows the government’s dedication to preventing gun deaths by tackling the issue of illicit firearms.
“Guns are the main and preferred tool used by gangsters, and this far-reaching legislative reform reflects worldwide best practices and updates fines and custodial sentences for those violent offenses perpetuated on law-abiding citizens,” he stated.
“Through the use of guns, gangsters rain terror and violence on each other and also innocent citizens … The Government and our country need all the help and support to rid our streets and communities of illegal guns,” who also pointed out that combating crime requires a careful balancing of techniques for intervention, suppression, and prevention.
The training, in Anderson’s opinion, is an additional step in ensuring that the networks and expertise of law enforcement are greater than those of criminals.
According to Anderson, the training is an additional step in making sure that law enforcement networks and skill sets are more powerful than those of criminals.
“We have seen where organised crime has morphed and changed as we create responses to what they do. It doesn’t just go away,” he explained. “But over the years, we have managed to successfully put significant dents in their operations. Still, they come back, so we always have to be upgrading our skills, sharing information, and understanding what each other is doing.”
The most recent training, according to Anderson, will only strengthen the cadre of resources already available for counter-gang operations while also improving participants’ skill sets.
“Based on the number of gang leaders who are actually in jail at the moment, obviously, something is working, and we have to make sure they stay there,” he added. “This training will boost our training and enable us to get prosecutions. But these matters are complex, they take time, and they have a lot of moving parts.”
