Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson has been elected president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) during their 20th annual conference last week in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
He was also awarded the Certificate of Excellence by U.S. Virgin Islands Senator Pedro M. Incarnacion for his “dedication, spirit of cooperation, teamwork and motivation.”
And, the Englerston Urban Renewal Project team headed by Inspector Bruce Arnett won an award for its innovative ways of community policing.
“This is a proud day for the Royal Bahamas Police Force and it is a singular honour for me,” said Commissioner Farquharson who will oversee the ACCP’s secretariat headquartered in Barbados.
“The Royal Bahamas Police Force is a leader in many respects,” he added. “Other commissioners feel that some of the innovative measures we undertake in policing can be duplicated in their countries.”
Mr. Farquharson, a founding member of the ACCP, was the unanimous choice to replace Jamaica’s Commissioner, Frances Forbes, who retired in January. He is an advisor at the CARICOM Secretariat.
The ACCP also welcomed the Caribbean’s first woman Commissioner of Police Delano Christopher of Antigua and Barbuda.
The ACCP seeks to be the principal regional organization for promoting and facilitating collaboration in the development and implementation of policing strategies, systems and procedures.
“My colleagues in the Caribbean saw me at work and decided that at this time I would be the best person to advance the objectives of the organisation at the international level,” said Mr Farquharson, a 40-year police veteran.
In addition to Caricom countries, the ACCP comprises Aruba, Curacao, the French Antilles and the overseas territories of the United States and Britain.
The theme of the conference was ‘Protecting Our Tourism.’ Barbados’ Commissioner Darwin Dottin was elected first vice president, Bermuda’s Commissioner Jonathan D. Smith, second vice president, and Anguilla’s Keithly Benjamin, treasurer.
“Bearing in mind the importance of the industry to the region, we as law enforcement officers have a fundamental responsibility to ensure the safety and security, not only of our citizens, but also of the many visitors to our shores,” said Mr. Farquharson.
Security and intelligence, especially as the region prepares for the world cricket tour, is high priority, said Mr. Farquharson.
“We must advance very rapidly the regional intelligence sharing system that all commissioners agreed must be put in place post haste to collate intelligence on the world cricket tour slated for the Caribbean in 2007,” he said. “That system we hope will be up and running shortly with the approval of Caricom.
“We must have advance planning and intelligence that go along with the police planning for these games. Caribbean commissioners have a very, very big task preparing for these games which will take place in nine countries.
“Commissioners, therefore, must have a repository system in place for intelligence as, there will be ideal opportunities for criminals, terrorists and other unscrupulous persons who may wish to disrupt the games.”
Among its core values, the ACCP supports human rights, gender and cultural sensitivity, community partnerships, professional and ethical standards, and commitment to quality service.
By Gladstone Thurston, Bahamas Information Services
