Tobago police get AI training

TWENTY police officers in Tobago took part in a one-day workshop on artificial intelligence (AI) for law enforcement, aimed at enhancing police operations on the island.

The pilot workshop was held on June 12 at the Tobago Information Technology Ltd in Signal Hill and was a collaboration between the TTPS and GNC Labs, sponsored by Jade Monkey Bar and Casino.

According to its website, GNC Labs, a division of the GNC Group, is dedicated to advancing AI literacy and skills in the Caribbean through hands-on, accessible workshops and tailored training programs.

ACP Oswain Subero, head of the Tobago Division, said two weeks ago the TTPS operating plan for 2025 to 2027 was launched and one challenge recognised was the issue of identifying what is real versus fake.

“In our operating plan 3.2, operational excellence, we have the item: optimised technology for organisational effectiveness. So we see this as something to give Tobago the cutting edge.”

Snr Supt Earl Elie said police recognise the concerns surrounding the prevalence of AI. “So we see the need basically for us to be prepared even more than we are, to treat with it," he said.

"We see the prevalence of fake videos and we know the impact that that can have on the public in terms of creating negative images of persons spreading bad and negative information. What it does for us, it tells us that we need to be more careful in forming conclusions and final decisions.”

He said the workshop is expected to open the eyes of the officers, giving them the capacity to deal with the AI trend.

The workshop’s facilitator, Gerard Llanos, founder and managing director of GNC Labs, said the world is going through technological changes and as such, they have seen the need to equip the protective service.

“In the same world where the police are not yet universally AI literate and using AI, the criminals are becoming AI literate. People are using AI for evil purposes. So what we are trying to do and what we are going to do this morning is start the process right here in Tobago of empowering law enforcement with the context, more so than the knowledge, the context and the skills to push back against emerging threats.”

Subero said with tourism being the main thrust on the island, there are flaws in the system which need to be rectified.

“We have seen where persons are booking hotels that they don’t own, being paid for spaces that they don’t own and people are arriving at guesthouses only to realise that the person they paid have no affiliation with the hotel,” Subero said.

He said this workshop is seen as giving officers on the island the edge on security.

“We intend to do an eagle-eye project in Tobago, where most of the Tobago businesses, we want them to have their cameras, and then we would have a feed in one of the police stations to view those cameras which we think can assist us with gathering evidence when a crime occurs.”

He said this is only one of the plans within the Tobago division.