THE United States has donated approximately $750,000 to redevelop a historic building at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Academy in St James.
Chargé d’Affaires Shante Moore formally handed over the facility to the TTPS during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Moore, Minister of National Security Stuart Young and Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith all spoke at the handover ceremony.
The new crime scene simulation facility will enable investigators to develop their skills in typical environments where crime occurs, including a home and a bank.
This investment will contribute to additional arrests, better collection of evidence, and more successful prosecutions, the US Embassy stated in a press release on Wednesday.
Moore said, “Police work is not easy. It is stressful, dangerous, and often goes unrecognized, but it is essential to the functioning of our societies.
“Those charged to uphold the law must be of strong moral character, receive the most up-to-date training and equipment, and hold each other accountable.
“The TTPS can count on the US Embassy to do what we can to support your efforts to counter criminal threats and keep the public safe while promoting greater accountability, oversight, and respect for the rights of all Trinbagonians.”
In the last five years, the US provided over $10 million in security assistance to Trinidad and Tobago which includes training, mentoring, equipment, and working canines to help build the crime-fighting capacity of the TTPS and other security forces, the Embassy added.
