CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Police Commissioner Vernon Francois is calling on Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to implement measures, including the CARICOM Warrant Arrest treaty, which will ensure criminals are brought to justice.

Francois said the introduction of the treaty has become imperative given the widespread increase in organised crime across the regional community.

"With the increase in criminal activity we are seeing within the community and the ubiquitous nature of organised crime, the full implementation of the pact will help bring criminals to justice," he said.

However six years after that agreement was brokered, Francois said the initiative, which is intended to simplify the extradition of wanted suspects between CARICOM member states, is yet to be implemented.

He urged regional countries to pool their resources contending also that there are too many legal impediments which delay the execution of simple matters in the criminal justice system.

Caribbean countries have in recent years agreed to various crime fighting measures including the formation of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security that is developing an integrated ballistic information network to improve the capacity of regional member states to identify and trace guns and ammunition used to commit crime across the region.