Caribbean National Security Ministers and Police Chiefs Learn Global Best Practices on Crime and Violence Reduction Through Study Tour to Arizona

May 27, 2018

Caribbean National Security Ministers and Police Chiefs Learn Global Best Practices on Crime and Violence Reduction Through Study Tour to Arizona

A recent study tour to the American cities of Phoenix and Chandler, Arizona gave seven Caribbean law enforcement leaders a unique capacity building opportunity to learn how best practices in data-driven policy-making can improve crime and violence reduction strategies.  

Officially named the CariSECURE High-level Citizen Security Study Tour, the three-day event took place from 15 to 17 May 2018, and was organized by the Strengthening Evidence Based Decision Making for Citizen Security in the Caribbean (CariSECURE) Project. Now in its second year of implementation, CariSECURE seeks to improve crime and violence policy-making and program development in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean through the use of quality, comparable and reliable national citizen security information.

During the study tour, national security decision-makers from CariSECURE’s beneficiary countries learned first-hand how police and municipal leadership use groundbreaking data automation techniques to inform their decision-making processes. Both cities were selected as the tour sites because of their innovative use of standardized, detailed crime data to help local officials develop policies and take targeted actions that tactically and strategically respond to crime and violence. 

Through this experience, participants also learned how these best practices can be used to develop their own national-level multi-user Crime Information Management System (CIMS), which will be designed and deployed in their countries through the CariSECURE Project.

“The purpose of the CariSECURE Citizen Security Study Tour supports a core area of the Project’s focus, which is to work with its beneficiary countries to improve their technological capacity in information management so that they can translate primary data into qualitative information for tactical, operational and strategic decision-making, “explains Mr. Paolo del Mistro, CariSECURE Team Leader.  

Participants included Mr. Agosta Degazon, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs and National Security for Saint. Lucia; Senator the Honourable Hermangild Francis, Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security for Saint. Lucia; Mr. Colin O. John, Acting Commissioner of Police for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Mr. Ian Queeley, Commissioner of Police for Saint Kitts and Nevis; The Honourable Khemraj Ramjattan, 2nd Vice President and Minister of Public Security for Guyana; Mr. David Ramnarine, Acting Commissioner of Police for the Guyana Police Force; and, Captain (N) Errington Ricardo Shurland, Executive Director of the Regional Security System (RSS). 

“The High-level Citizen Security Study Tour to Phoenix and Chandler, Arizona, provided an excellent opportunity to observe how crime data is used to develop response strategies at the operational and policy-making levels. The crime and violence challenges in these cities are very similar to those experienced by the states in the region and therefore the tour allowed for great similarity and demonstrated how crime data can be optimized for decision-making,” said Captain Shurland.  

Featured sessions included discussions with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and members of Chandler’s City Council on the benefits of using police data in the development of city laws. Participants also attended meetings with Phoenix Police Chief Jeri. L. Williams, as well as and Chandler’s Chief of Police Sean Duggan to find out how executive leadership interprets data and uses it to create strategy and policy. In a session with Crime Gun Intelligence Center staff, they also learned how the agency synthesizes its crime gun intelligence and data to make case-level decisions and broader strategies to combat gun crime. They also explored police open data initiatives as landmark examples that they can use to model their own CIMS. 

“The Study Tour was a real eye opener for Saint Lucia’s Department of Home Affairs and National Security. We were very impressed with a range of community policing initiatives as well as the intelligence-led policing concept and initiatives. The manner in which data is used to inform decision-making for effective law enforcement was particularly remarkable,” said Mr. Agosto Degazon, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs and National Security for Saint Lucia.  

“The Chandler Police Department was honoured to host fellow law enforcement professionals and Ministers from the Caribbean. Our discussion on community engagement initiatives and open data sharing identified opportunities to enhance best practices for all in attendance,” said Mr. Sean Duggan, Chief of Police for the Chandler Police Department.   

At the end of the tour, participants gained a clearer understanding of how information and technology is being used globally to support tactical crime and violence reduction decision-making. They are also expected to apply their learnings towards finalising requirements for their national-level CIMS. 

“The study tour was a wonderful experience particularly for promoting an improved understanding and appreciation of the value and importance of processing data in real time so that it becomes actionable intelligence. Across the globe, law enforcement authorities are forging ahead with intelligence-led policing, policies and programmes to address at-risk youths. The Guyana Police Force has already embarked on a number of initiatives, including the CariSECURE Project, which will form part of the overall enhancement of the safety of our communities,” said Mr. David Ramnarine, Acting Commissioner of Police for Guyana.

The CariSECURE Project represents a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), made possible through the generous support of the American People. CariSECURE aims to strengthen the capacity of regional and national institutions in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean to improve how they collect, analyze and use citizen security data to develop evidence-based policies and programs that address root causes of criminal activity, particularly among youth.

More information about CariSECURE can be found here.