Over 300 pieces of Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment are being donated to Police Forces in five eastern and southern Caribbean countries.  The equipment includes computer workstations, tablets, monitors, laptops, printers, and UPS.  It is intended to support the police forces to transition away from paper-based crime data collection to a digitized police information system. To this end, a Police Reporting Management Information System (PRMIS) is being developed through the “Strengthening Evidence Based Decision Making for Citizen Security in the Caribbean” (CariSECURE) project. This equipment and software will enhance law enforcement’s ability to collect crime data.  Analytics will be generated to inform data driven policing responses to help curb crime and violence in beneficiary countries.

Barbados became the first country to receive the shipment of equipment at a handover ceremony today (December 2, 2021) at the Police Service Headquarters on Roebuck Street, Bridgetown. During the event, Deputy Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce said, “the strategic direction of the police force is to develop a robust transformation agenda”.  He indicated, the training, technical support and equipment received will support the transformation of the service. He expressed gratitude to the donor United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implementing partner the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for supporting the goal of the police force through the tremendous financial investment and support. 

Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID’s Regional Representative, Clinton White, stated, “Today’s event is precipitated by the evolving impact of technology in a world where physical boundaries are becoming less and less relevant. That technology has changed and continues to change the way societies behave and operate in both positive and not-so-positive ways.  As a result, it was necessary to place technology and corresponding skills at the fingertips of law enforcement officers in seven Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries, including Barbados”. White added, “To this end the United States Government through USAID has invested more than US$9 million with the goal to strengthen evidence-based decision making for citizen security in the Caribbean.

UNDP Resident Representative to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Valerie Cliff added, “UNDP is delighted to support the region and this distribution of ICT equipment is in alignment with the CariSECURE project's goals of using data to improve youth crime and violence policy-making and programming and will undoubtedly help to advance data-driven citizen security in the region and build strong institutions.”

CariSECURE has also partnered with the Regional Security System (RSS), to distribute the equipment across the region. To date, a delivery was made to the Police Force in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In the coming weeks ICT equipment will also be donated to police forces in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

For media queries contact: Shani Leacock – shani.leacock@undp.org

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The CariSECURE project represents a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), made possible by the support of the American People.

Learn more at www.bb.undp.org or follow at @UNDPBarbados