The United States Government, in collaboration with the Government of Barbados, launched a National Task Force to improve citizen security data management, analysis, and monitoring for crime reduction in the region.

The task force, part of the USG-supported CariSECURE project, will implement the Caribbean Citizen Security Toolkit. The toolkit, which was developed under the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) CariSECURE Project, introduces various instruments to standardize the collection of crime, violence, and victimization data by law enforcement personnel, and will enhance data quality and the effectiveness of crime reduction and prevention strategies in Barbados and nine other Caribbean nations.  

At the launch, the Mission Director of USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Christopher Cushing, said the Task Force “has a critical role to play in contributing to the reduction of crime and violence in Barbados” and that improvements in citizen security data as a result of the toolkit “will lead to the development of more effective crime prevention programs and policies that better target the problems affecting young people.” 

The Caribbean Citizen Security Toolkit represents in-depth collaboration between USAID, UNDP, host-governments, and stakeholders including the CARICOM Secretariat, the Regional Security System, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission. 

CariSECURE is a component of USAID’s Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Project, which aims to build the region’s capacity to effectively address youth crime and violence through the use of reliable national citizen security information. It represents a partnership between USAID and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), made possible by the support of the American People.