(BRIDGETOWN, February 14, 2017) The Canadian Government-funded Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project is hosting a training course entitled “Enhancing Support to Victims of Crime”. The course will be attended by police officers of varying ranks along with gender specialists, counsellors, community development officers, social workers and others who work with victims of crime. Participants are from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The two-day training course, which is being held at the Accra Beach Hotel, Christ Church, commences with an Opening Session on February 20th under the chairmanship of Prof. Velma Newton, Regional Project Director of IMPACT Justice. Opening Remarks will be given by Dr. Gail Miller, Minister Counsellor (Development), Senior Director Caribbean Regional Programme, Global Affairs Canada and Canadian Director to the Caribbean Development Programme.

The training will address identification of victim needs, first response to individual victim types, crisis intervention with victims of crime, the importance of collaboration with the community and enhancing response to victims of crime. The facilitators are Constable Ryan McEachran and Ms. Donna Watson-Elliott, both of the Ottawa Police, Canada.