The United   States and the Caribbean are   establishing a polygraph centre in Jamaica through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI),   American Ambassador to Guyana Brent Hardt announced on Friday.

“Through the regional CBSI   programme, there is an entity being developed in Jamaica to develop regional   capacity; in other words to train people who can themselves train others so   there is an element to boost regional capacity and also to respond to the   requirements that government and law enforcement agencies identify,” said   Hardt.

He was at the time speaking at the   signing of the CBSI 2012-2013 Letter of Agreement that will provide an   additional US$860,000 in security sector assistance, and an agreement that   would see Guyana becoming the seventh Caribbean country to participate in the Cooperative Sensor   Information Integration system for tracking airborne, maritime and land   traffic as part of counter-narcotics efforts.

Under the Letter of Agreement, the   US   would assist Guyana with lie-detection tests of security personnel,   particularly those with whom it works very closely. “We are keen to support   that especially those units with whom we work that we need the confidence   that the units are trustworthy units that we can share sensitive information   with,” added Hardt.

He said the Cooperative Sensor   Information Integration system was part of efforts to tackle the movement of   drugs from a regional standpoint.

“The US, Guyana and other Caribbean countries have recognized that   organised criminal networks have regional capabilities and we need to also   organise ourselves so that transnational law enforcement is also working on a   regional basis,” added the US envoy.

Under the Letter of Agreement, Guyana would also   benefit from support for law enforcement and professionalization,   strengthened counter narcotics control capabilities and the targeting of   money laundering and financial crimes.

“It will also allow us to expand   efforts to strengthen counternarcotics control capabilities which aim to   identify, dismantle and bring to justice drug trafficking organisations   through close collaboration, training and intelligence sharing,” he said.

In the area of money laundering   and financial crimes, provision has been made for Guyana and the US to work   together to identify and prosecute those profiting from criminal activities   through an interagency approach that would include the Ministry of Finance,   Director of Public Prosecutions, law enforcement and the judiciary.

Guyana’s capabilities to operate prisons and correctional   centres, strengthen the judicial sector’s ability to address narcotics   trafficking and transnational crime and develop forensic skills for the   collection, analysis and presentation of evidence in court proceedings are   also provided for under the Letter of Agreement.