Seven Jamaican Officers Graduate Caribbean Security Course in Washington DC

Seven defence and security officers – five members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and two from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) – graduated from the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University in Washington DC, after recently completing a two-week Caribbean Security and Defense Course.

They were among 52 participants representing Belize, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, along with representatives from the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Regional Security System (RSS).

Among the areas participants were exposed to over the period were maritime and border security, cyber domain and emerging technologies, narco and illicit arms trafficking, mega event security and inter-agency and international cooperation.

In providing an overview of the course during the graduation ceremony, University President, Vice Admiral Peter Garvin, noted that “the course highlighted several concepts and strategies that were important for the region to pursue”.

These included improvements in integration, coordination, and cooperation across a range of issues, such as intelligence sharing and gathering, advancements in technology, and the effective coordination of resources to achieve both collective and individual goals.

“Most importantly, the course facilitated networking among participants from several other countries, which will enable growth, solidarity, and opportunities to tackle organised crime and terrorism,” Admiral Garvin further stated.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr. Gary McKenzie, one of the graduates, in commenting on the course said, “The course served as another excellent platform to learn, share perspectives and consider best practices as we strengthen opportunities to cooperate and collaborate on defence and security in our region.

“One of the benefits of this course is the shared perspectives garnered from defence and security professionals and strategists in the Western Hemisphere. As transnational orgnanised networks become more interconnected and adaptive, so should our responses in the region,” the Assistant Commissioner shared.

The Jamaica Security and Defence officers comprised Dr. McKenzie, along with Assistant Commissioner Calvin Allen; Senior Superintendent Christopher Brown, Superintendent Patrae Rowe; Assistant Security Attache, Embassy of Jamaica, Ewon Simms; and Lieutenant Colonel Zavian Phipps and Akeen James-Haughton.

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson, addressed the 52 participants during the course, and attended the graduation ceremony.

The Jamaican delegation also paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Anderson at the Embassy, where they participated in a networking session attended by United States Government officials, security and military attachés, as well as officers from across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies supports a community of security and defence professionals across the Americas, fostering collaborative approaches to shared opportunities and challenges.

Since its establishment in 1997, the Center has engaged more than 30,000 participants through over 1,700 forums.