Members of the Royal Police Force of St. Lucia have not been participating in a human trafficking seminar underway on island.
This is due to an ongoing ban on local police by the United States.
In August 2013, local police were barred from participating in US-funded and organized training, after the US government raised concern over allegations of extra-judicial killings of 12 civilians by police officers, during “Operation Restore Confidence,” between 2010 and 2011.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Home Affairs and National Security is hosting a three-day human trafficking seminar.
The US is presently awaiting the outcome of an investigation into that matter to determine a way forward on the ban.
Minister of National Security, Senator Victor La Corbiniere said the police force will still benefit from other opportunities, though it cannot attend this seminar. He said his ministry is “arranging so that the police can get similar type training.”
According to him, about 30 officers were trained last year on human trafficking matters by resource persons from his ministry. He said another 30 will be trained shortly and this is expected to continue.