Criminals refused entry – thanks to fingerprint records

Through the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) based in Barbados, over 400 human subjects have been identified as being inadmissible to Caribbean countries and have been refused entry, thanks to the work of these two agencies.

The above was revealed recently by Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Christopher Sandrolini, as he spoke of the success of the collaborative efforts between the United States and countries in the region to fight crime.

Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy to Barbados
and the Eastern Caribbean Christopher Sandrolini.

The Chargé d’Affaires noted that one significant partnership has seen the US assisting the region in establishing fingerprint records, through the donation of automated fingerprint identification system terminals.

“There is clearly a great benefit to making sure that a criminal does not escape justice  simply because he has travelled to a different country, and finger print records are an important part of being able to link our networks together,” he noted.

Acknowledging that 400 human subjects have been denied entry to date with the use of the automated fingerprint identification systems, Sandrolini noted that these subjects include illegal immigrants, convicted criminals, narcotics traffickers and sexual predators.

“Every week we are seeing five to ten of these people identified and prevented entry into our countries,” he stressed.

Sandrolini also revealed that the US drug enforcement administration in joint operations with Eastern Caribbean partners has seized more than 300 000 kilogrammes of narcotics. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been instrumental in introducing issues of cyber security in the public and private sector, throughout the region.

The Chargé d’Affaires further pointed out that the United States is very proud of its Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), created in 2009 with three goals in mind.

“The first was to substantially reduce illicit trafficking of narcotics and weapons; second, to build citizen security and anti-crime programmes to reduce crime and improve border security; and thirdly, to promote social justice through programmes to reform justice systems and combat corruption and assist vulnerable populations who risk being recruited into criminal organisations,” he pointed out, adding that since the creation of CBSI, the US has dedicated US$236 million to programmes across the Caribbean.

Sandrolini also remarked that in the past year and a half, the US has sponsored more than 180 different training courses for the benefit of more than 2 000 participants across the region, building human capital and covering a host of subjects, including civil aviation security, crisis management, maritime terrorism, forensics, homicide investigations, gang training, anti-corruption, cyber security and leadership.

Sandrolini’s comments on these matters came as he addressed top law enforcement and security officials at the recently held Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, held in Barbados. (RSM)