The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has completed the AJIPA-Compliant Statement Training Programme in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme Trinidad and Tobago Multi-Country Office. The training was delivered under the European Union-funded PACE Justice Project, which supports justice reform and stronger criminal justice systems across the Caribbean.
Conducted between January and March 2026, the programme focused on improving how criminal matters are prepared from the earliest stages of investigation. It emphasized the importance of recording statements with fairness, clarity, evidential completeness and integrity before cases reach the courts.
More than 65 officers took part in the core training, including investigators, police legal officers, prosecutors and trainers from the Police Academy. The sessions were held at the accredited Police Academy in St James, Port of Spain, and included practical exercises designed to strengthen investigative and prosecutorial readiness.
The training encouraged officers to rethink the role of statements, exhibits, forensic continuity and digital evidence as connected parts of a wider evidential picture. This approach aimed to help officers prepare stronger case files and establish a proper prima facie case before the court.
Participants also examined modern law enforcement challenges, including the admissibility of digital evidence, social media videos, CCTV footage and mobile phone material. The programme highlighted the need to authenticate evidence correctly and prepare cases properly before charges are laid.
An additional group of approximately 35 officers from the TTPS Police Academy completed a Train-the-Trainer component. This element was designed to ensure that the knowledge gained through the programme can continue to support future police training and strengthen long-term institutional capacity.
Participants described the programme as transformative, noting that it helped bring investigative skills into the modern era. Officers said the training improved their understanding of why statements may become inadmissible and how better preparation can reduce delays, dismissals and weaknesses in criminal cases.
The integration of the training into the Police Academy curriculum is expected to support sustainability and continued professional development within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. Final evaluations showed that most groups were assessed as “Sufficiency Ready,” reflecting improved legal reasoning, procedural compliance and readiness to advance matters through the court system.
