thebahamasweekly.com - U.S. Government Provides Advanced Training to Bahamas Drug Enforcement Unit

From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

International
U.S. Government Provides Advanced Training to Bahamas Drug Enforcement Unit
By US Embassy Bahamas
Jul 8, 2014 - 12:58:16 PM

Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force Officers discussed survival skills and equipment in the event of an ocean stranding at advanced training provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. State Department.

Nassau, The Bahamas - The U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Section, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Drug Enforcement Administration teamed up to provide the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) with specialized training designed to enhance their participation in Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) June 23-27 in Nassau. OPBAT is a 35-year old, multi-agency, international drug interdiction effort focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs from South America and the Caribbean to The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States.

An officer swims to safety after a simulated helicopter crash during advanced training provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. State Department.

Five officers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force joined thirty of their RBPF counterparts last week for the advanced training. The officers practiced helicopter emergency egress procedures, familiarized themselves with lifesaving equipment, and discussed survival skills in the event of abandoning an aircraft. In one exercise, officers were required to access an emergency air supply device and unbuckle themselves from a helicopter seat while they were in full gear, upside down, and underwater—then, they swam to safety. “You hope you never need these skills,” one RBPF officer remarked, “but having them could save your life.” Funding for the training was made possible through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.