Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter
SHIELDS
MEMBERS OF a Scotland Yard community liaison group will visit Jamaica next week to advise the Ministry of National Security on how to establish similar groups in the island.
The Independent Advisory Group (IAG) is attached to Operation Trident, the Scotland Yard unit established to tackle gun crime in London's black communities.
The IAG was formed in 2000 - consisting of police and community representatives - with the intention of fostering better relations between the two groups and improving the flow of
criminal intelligence.
The group will include head of Operation Trident, Deputy Chief Superintendent John Coles.
Mark Shields, Deputy Police Commissioner and former Scotland Yard officer, has previously said that improved community relations are vital in tackling crime.
He said: "I worked closely with Trident in an operation in North London, and the results were ... gunmen out of the community ... guns and drugs away from causing harm. The community must know it is beneficial but also that success is possible, together."
The IAG meets monthly and provides community-focused advice and ethical oversight on police policies, tactics and procedures. They also contribute to reviews of Trident investigations, victim/witness support and assist the police with media appeals.
