United States Supports Forensics Regional Center of Excellence in Saint Lucia
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration furthered its commitment to enhance security cooperation in the Eastern Caribbean by launching an effort to make the Saint Lucia Forensics Lab a Regional Center for Excellence. This project is part of a USD$2.2 million United States investment in strengthening Caribbean forensics capabilities, including in Saint Lucia.
Ambassador Linda S. Taglialatela and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre attended the opening ceremony along with officials from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and police forces from around the region, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, The Bahamas, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Ambassador Taglialatela remarked during the opening ceremony: “The U.S. commitment to supporting the St. Lucia Forensic Lab is multi-faceted. We will continue to provide crucial assistance through training, expert exchanges, and the pursuit of accreditation.” The Regional Center of Excellence serves as a hub for forensic capacity building and knowledge exchange in the Caribbean improving security for the Caribbean and its citizens.
The United States’ Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement is proud to partner with the Saint Lucia Forensics Lab to bring Caribbean forensic capabilities up to international standards with the Regional Center of Excellence working toward the goal of International Organization for Standardization accreditation. U.S. Embassy Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Reggie Singh said: “The Forensics Regional Center of Excellence will enable Saint Lucian law enforcement and regional counterparts to collect and analyze crime scene evidence right here in the region – that means that criminals will be arrested, tried, and convicted more quickly and with firm scientific evidence.”