Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. UNODC’s Firearms Trafficking Section, in close cooperation with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, organised a training from 13 to 15 of March, to develop the capacities of 18 officers from various law enforcement agencies on the detection of firearms, their parts and components and ammunition in line with the established procedures and operational tactics, as well as to increase inter-agency cooperation at the borders.
The training featured experts from a range of complementary agencies such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (US ATF), The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC). Representatives from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Customs and Excise Division also delivered presentations on their respective areas. Over the course of the three-day workshop, the participants were able to glean in depth knowledge from these experts and interact with them to clarify and expand on various matters. Furthermore, the attendees were also able to engage in three practical exercises, one of which was held off site at one of the country’s main ports. The participants remarked on the relevance of the comprehensive presentations at a regional and international level as well as the benefit of “detailed information and practical experience” and highlighted the need for “constant training for front line investigators” to be apprised of the emerging modalities which hinder the detection of firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. 
Through the financial support of Germany for the project implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, the workshop was able to facilitate 18 participants, half of them women, represented the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Forensic Science Center, Customs and Excise Division and Port Authority. Although the format of the training incorporated many useful presentations, the participants were able to interact and connect with each other prior to the conclusion of the workshop. The attendees exchanged contact information to promote further collaboration across agencies in Trinidad and Tobago. They found that the training “opened the door to some insights to our fellow law enforcement agencies and the need for us to network better and not operate based on the perception of the other agencies but on fact”.
