Jamaica hosts Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police 2018

The 33rd Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC) in St James from April 30 to May 4.

This year's theme is 'An Integrated Approach Against Serious and Organised Crime - Implications for Regional Growth and Development'.

Delegates from 25 ACCP member countries, other stakeholders and exhibitors from around the world, amounting to more than 300 persons, are expected to be in attendance. Commissioners of police from participating islands within the region are the main delegates attending the conference. There will also be regional and international exhibitors displaying security products.

The conference is intended to strengthen regional integration and to develop strategies for law enforcement in the Caribbean. As a result, it will explore issues of human trafficking, the illicit gun and drugs trades, and the use of technology to curtail corruption.

According to Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, "As the host commissioner, I am honoured that Jamaica is the venue of this year's staging and I extend gratitude to the secretariat of the ACCP for their support in the planning and execution of the conference. This conference provides a valuable opportunity for further regional collaboration in an evolving security environment which presents significant challenges to us as small states with limited response capabilities."

One of the sponsors for the event, Motorola, will provide several scholarships for the children of police officers who have displayed exceptional work ethic and scholastic performance throughout the year. The winners will receive the Motorola Solutions Foundation Scholarship, valuing US$30,000, to be divided among 10 selected applicants (between the ages of 16 and 25) to cover the 2018-2019 school year.

Excellence in policing across the region will also be highlighted through the Amalgamated Security Services Regional Recognition Awards. Three outstanding police officers from ACCP member countries will win awards in the categories of: Top Caribbean Community Policing Officer, Top Caribbean Crime Fighter, and Top Caribbean Career Move.