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 In this section:
THE FORMATION OF THE CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN POLICE – An Initiative to Address the Special Needs of Female Officers in Service
The Commissioner of Police Mr. Paul Farquharson, President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) envisioned the possibility of the women within the region coming together in a unified effort to advance their concerns and forward recommendations as a regional body. He had experienced first hand the importance of having effective networks with his comrades within the region and wanted to develop this same type of network for female officers in the Caribbean.
In September 2005, at the 112th International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference he met with female representatives from the IACP to look at the feasibility of creating a body that dealt specifically with women in law enforcement. This proved to be a very productive meeting and plans were put in motion for the establishment of an association for women within the Caribbean region.
In October 2005, Commissioner Farquharson met with the female officers of The Royal Bahamas Police Force and challenged them to take the lead and host the women of the region at their upcoming conference. Excitedly, these women boldly took up the challenge and agreed to host the region in this historical venture. He in turn, as President of the ACCP, set up a desk at the head office in Barbados to assist with the dissemination of information throughout the region, concerning the conference
In November 2005, at the ACCP Intercessional Meeting, after much debate, the Commissioners of the ACCP unanimously endorsed the establishment of an association of female police officers in the region, under the auspices of the ACCP.
It is envisioned that the main objectives of the association will be to address the unique needs of women police officers within the region with an over arching goal of focusing on recruitment, retention, and advancement. These objectives will be achieved by:
Ø Mobilizing female officers from the region to work towards shared aspirations;
Ø Looking at the best practices that will help to create an environment which will increase the potential of female officers, that will in turn enhance their respective organizations;
Ø Fostering collaborative efforts through information sharing, training and cross training.
On Wednesday 29th March 2006 in the Bahamas, the inaugural conference was hosted by the Bahamas Women Police. The regional delegates sitting in a closed session formally agreed to establish the Caribbean Association of Women Police (CAWP). Following this, the purpose and objectives of the organization were agreed upon.
This group of women was so enthusiastic and invigorated by the establishment of the Caribbean Association of Women Police that they requested another closed session to further discuss its progress. Therefore on Friday 31 March, the group met to forge a way forward.
A mission and vision statement were developed and submitted by selected group members and voted on by all those present. They unanimously agreed on the following:
Mission: To promote and maintain unity and empower all women police in the region through advocacy, training and networking thus enhancing the quality of policing in the community.
Vision: To be the primary catalyst for change towards improving the quality of life and service of women police in the region.
The Meeting also appointed the following members to form the first Executive Committee:
President - Indirah Adderley, Bahamas.
1st Vice President - Margaret Sampson-Browne, Trinidad
2nd Vice President - Enid Ross, Jamaica.
Secretary - Desiree McDonald, Guyana.
Treasurer - Marline Wilkinson-Christie, Jamaica.
Historian - Melisande Bassett, Bahamas.
This team will be responsible for reviewing the constitution and establishing objectives for the development of the association over the next year. The proposed venues for 2007 and 2008 Conferences of the Association are Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda respectively.
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