Marijuana Being Burned On a Nevis Beach
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 08, 2012 (CUOPM)
The Barak Obama Administration in Washington, D.C. is putting an additional US$606,000 into the fight against crime in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The new funding comes under an amended letter of agreement concluded on Friday, May 4, 2012 by Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, Mr. Christopher Sandrolini and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister The Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
A United States Embassy release said the United States has now committed US$2,851,000 in direct bilateral assistance to St. Kitts and Nevis since the 2009 launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.
“The millions in funding have gone into a wide range of security programs to combat transnational crime and hence, increase the safety of Kittitians and Nevisians,” the Embassy said.
It said the new funding from this agreement will cover four areas.
US$200,000 will go towards enhancing the professional skills of St. Kitts and Nevis’ law enforcement, through the purchase of equipment, training, and the mentoring of St. Kitts and Nevis personnel by U.S. Government experts.
Under the area of Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, US$192,000 will be devoted to expanding the capabilities of St. Kitts and Nevis to operate a prison system that is safe, secure, humane, and in conformance with international standards.
The United States will also help to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of corrections officials to manage a correctional system that contributes to public safety, combats transnational crime, reduces recidivism rates, and provides the prisoners with opportunities for reform and rehabilitation.
An additional US$131,000 will be dedicated to strengthening counternarcotics control capabilities in St. Kitts and Nevis. Under this programme, the United States will continue to offer training and equipment to enhance the ability of law enforcement to conduct investigations and interdict illicit trafficking.
US$83,000 will be provided for the fourth area of cooperation – combating Money Laundering and Financial Crimes. This funding will go into increasing training, technical assistance, mentoring and equipment for Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), the judiciary, prosecutors, and bank regulatory bodies.
CBSI is a partnership between the United States and the countries of the Caribbean under which it is agreed to share the responsibility for implementing common vision for a safer, more prosperous Caribbean region.
Under CBSI, the United States and the Caribbean partners have pledged to seek durable security solutions through sustainable programs over which regional partners take eventual ownership.
Launched by President Barack Obama in 2009, CBSI has been the vehicle through which the United States has committed US$139 million to the region to reduce illicit trafficking and increase citizen security.