Thirty-one Saint Lucian police officers have received advanced training from two Taiwanese Instructors in advanced crime-fighting techniques.
The officers underwent the training as the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) continues to bolster its crime-fighting capabilities amid an alarming crime surge.
According to a Taiwan Embassy release, sixteen local officers participated in the Advanced Intelligence Course, while fifteen participated in the Advanced Crime Scene Course.
“Taiwan continues to support the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force in capacity building and providing equipment that will enhance the profession and bolster police presence,” Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Peter Chia-Yen Chen, told the November 29, 2024, closing ceremony.
The Embassy release said Chen explained that during Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s visit to Taiwan in 2022, the PM initiated the on-site training.
He explained that with Pierre’s initiative, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the RSLPF, and Taiwan’s National Police Agency conducted on-site training to empower local police officers with modern techniques and ideas in crime investigation and intelligence management.
In addition, the Taiwanese diplomat handed over an electric-powered bike, three body cameras, and three water filter bottles to the RSLPF, declaring that the donation demonstrated his country’s commitment to assisting local law enforcement, highlighting the ‘enduring partnership’ between Taiwan and Saint Lucia.
Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremiah Norbert, who also addressed the closing ceremony, was confident that the partnership with Taiwan would assist in navigating to a safer and happier livelihood in Saint Lucia.
“I am confident that the partnership we share will navigate us to a safer and happier livelihood in Saint Lucia,” Norbert stated.
For his part, Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke Defreitas praised the course participants for enduring weeks of training that demanded a deep understanding of advanced methodologies, critical thinking, adapting to new challenges, and collaborating effectively.
“These are the hallmarks of exceptional law enforcement professionals,” ACP Defreitas declared.
He urged the police officers to use the cutting-edge skills they learned inintelligence gathering, analysis, and crime scene investigations to restore trust, deliver justice, respect human rights, and uphold the values that bind society together.
PHOTO: (L to R)Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Mr. Luke Defreitas, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ms. Diana Fanis, Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police, and training facilitators from Taiwan, Mr. Logan Kuo and Mr. Eric Huang.
