Above: Trinidad Minister of National Security John Sandy at Chaguaramas in February (Photo: TIS)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The government of Trinidad signed two cooperation agreements yesterday with the Organization of American States to strengthen information on public security and for the promotion of firearm marking. The agreements were signed by Minister of National Security Brigadier John Sandy yesterday.

Trinidad joins the Bahamas as CARICOM countries to have made agreements on firearms marking.

“[The agreements] will establish a framework or practical collaboration, to achieve a more secure region,” Sandy said. “[It] also provides the government of Trinidad and Tobago with opportunities for networking with regional and hemispherical counterparts, in order to enhance information sharing.”

Sandy said the information agreement would create, support and improve data collection for national observatories on crime and violence, with the aim of providing new tools for analyzing trends in crime.

As it did to the Bahamas, the OAS will be providing a laser firearm-marking machine to bused by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.