Residents of Union Island and Mayreau are now better equipped to identify potential cases of Human Trafficking on those Grenadines Islands.
This follows a three (3) day sensitization campaign on the islands by officers attached to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit of the local Police Force, which is responsible for combating human trafficking here.
On Monday, Deputy Head of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit, Station Sergeant Junior Simmons and Constable Garet Dopwell travelled to Union Island and Mayreaut to educate the residents on issues relating to Human Trafficking.
On Tuesday, the team conducted its first session at the Mary Hutchinson Primary School where over 120 students and 8 teachers were sensitized about human trafficking – then at 1:00 p.m. the same day, a similar number of students and teachers at the Stephanie Browne Primary School were recipients of the same presentation.
Then on Wednesday, it was the turn of the students and Teachers of the Union Island Secondary School. At 7:00 p.m., the team conducted a presentation entitled “Introduction to Human Trafficking” to the congregation of the Ashton Seventh Day Adventist Church.
On Thursday, April 28, 2016, at 6:45 a.m., the team journeyed to Mayreau on the school boat (the boat that transports secondary students from Mayreau to Union Island) and conducted a presentation on Child Trafficking to the small population of staff and students at the Mayreau Primary School.
Officer Simmons and Dopwell wrapped up their mission to the Southern Grenadines with a community presentation at the Union Island Learning Resource Centre where over ninety five percent of the Police Officers stationed on the island where in attendance along with Customs Officers, Immigration Officers, Tobago Cays Marine Park Rangers and other members of the general public.
