Port of Spain, January 17, 2020: The U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), sponsored a two-day “Gang Investigations and Prosecutions” workshop on January 9-10 for attorneys from the Office of the DPP. Officers from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and Prison Service also attended.
The workshop focused on procedural mechanisms for the successful prosecution of gang-related offenses, effective investigative tools for detecting crimes committed by gang members, the forfeiture of associated proceeds from criminal activity, and strategies to address the challenges related to the investigation and prosecution of national and transnational criminal gangs. The workshop also enhanced participants’ knowledge of the legal frameworks in Trinidad and Tobago to investigate and prosecute gang-related offenses, including the use of Trinidad and Tobago’s anti-gang legislation.
The workshop was led by a team of experts from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, New York City, and Chicago and was implemented by the U.S. National Center for State Courts.
The workshop is part of the wide range of efforts to address crime and violence affecting citizens in Trinidad and Tobago through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Through CBSI programs, the United States provides training and support to law enforcement, other security agencies, and criminal justice institutions to build general investigative and prosecutorial capacity, including with respect to narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and other financial crimes, as well as programs to support the rule of law and anti-corruption.