UK Minister for the Americas & the Caribbean, David Rutley MP, has arrived in Turks and Caicos for a three-day visit.
During his visit, Minister Rutley will meet the Governor, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and Premier of Turks and Caicos, Honourable Charles Washington Misick, to share concerns about ongoing gang violence on the island and emphasise the UK's continued commitment to providing security measures and resources to protect residents.
In light of the particularly high levels of irregular migration the Turks and Caicos Islands face from Haiti the minister will also visit the Maritime Operations Centre. Here he will see first-hand how the radar station is being used to aid the detection of illegal sloop boats.
The minister will then visit the Marine Branch headquarters in Long Bay where he will be met by Assistant Superintendent Everet Warrican and Superintendent Mat Newton to hear about the headquarters' vital work.
UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, David Rutley said:
The safety of residents in Turks and Caicos has always been of paramount importance to the UK government. During my visit, I will be meeting with the Premier and Governor to reiterate the UK's support for reducing the ongoing gang violence.
I also look forward to meeting the local law enforcement officials who are at the frontline of keeping residents safe and protecting the Turks and Caicos Islands.
During his visit, the minister will meet staff at the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit, which is funded through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development's Office. The expert unit provides analytical support to the local police force to tackle serious crime. He will also visit the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force's Tactical Response Unit and be given a tour of the Dock Yard and Five Cay area on board an armoured response vehicle.
Governor of Turks and Caicos Islands, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, welcomed the minister's arrival and commented:
I'm delighted to welcome the Minister to Turks and Caicos Islands. During his visit, he will be visiting some of our core security facilities and meeting teams that are working hard to keep our residents safe from violence. Our goal continues to be to create a safe, secure and prosperous Turks and Caicos for all.
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