Training course for AMERIPOL analysts and documentalists

FIIAPP, within the framework of the cooperation programme “Support to AMERIPOL-EU”, financed by the European Union, organised the second course for analysts and documentalists of the AMERIPOL police information exchange system (SIPA).

SIPA, established and financed by the project, is the pilot information exchange system of AMERIPOL which has enabled the beneficiary countries (Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama and Peru) to exchange strategic information on organised crime on a secure basis.

The course was held in Bogotá, Colombia, at the Executive Secretariat of AMERIPOL, the Police Community of the Americas, and included the presence of law enforcement officials from the six beneficiary countries of this programme.

The objective of this activity was to impact how the pilot programme operates, and to train civil servants working in the AMERIPOL Country Units (ACUs) of the six beneficiary countries.

The course placed great importance on verification of information by checking the drug-trafficking case files uploaded each day by the documentalists of the ACUs of the six countries involved in the programme.

In addition, the attendees presented a drug seizure case file in the course for the purpose of applying the pertinent entity extraction techniques and practical activities for adequately processing this information.

Similarly, the technology experts evaluated the existing model and listened to recommendations for developing a future system, with the goal of making the two compatible.

During the training session, the importance of continuing to hold these types of courses over time was communicated. Moreover, as these are specialised courses, it was recommended that the students remain in the positions for which they were trained and that the courses be held regularly so that they can incorporate the changes being made between the different courses held.

The inauguration of the course was led by the Delegate of the AMERIPOL Executive Secretary; the closing was attended by the Chargé d’affaires of the Bolivian Embassy in Colombia, Ms Zaid Ferrufino, who explained that “countries must work in a coordinated and effective manner to fight organised crime and that the SIPA tool represents key support from the European Union to the region in the fight against organised crime”. In addition, she emphasised the need to strengthen the AMERIPOL unit in Bolivia by moving the installation location and expanding the staff of the unit, which currently only has two people.