Members of the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) are being encouraged to continue their good work.
The call came from Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, who said his Ministry, the country, and international partners are depending on their efforts.
On Wednesday, members of the Counter Trafficking Unit and other protective services were presented with certificates of commendation for their success in Operation Purple Ryain, which was carried out in the Rio Claro area and led to the rescue of 11 victims and the arrest of a businessman.
Approximately 30 officers were involved in the operation.
In delivering an address, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander thanked them for their hard work.
“For the recipients of this award this morning, I wonder if our foreparents, too, would be proud of you. I often say that human trafficking is as close to slavery as I see. You could imagine someone who’s caught in a place, cannot leave, and then they hear the knocking on the door, and then the officers here, you appear. You could imagine what that feels like to someone who has been there?”
Minister Alexander told the officers that their work has surpassed local standards.
“I want to thank the Unit so much because this is not just for local but for regional and international standards. And let me tell the persons who are standing here today to receive awards: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 years from now, your name will be called as having done something for the betterment of mankind. And that you must be proud.”
The Minister encouraged the officers to continue to keep up the good work but reminded them of the importance of taking it a step further.
“In the Police Service, from which I can speak to sometimes, to get the job done, it takes a lot. We could do it by the book, hardly successful. We could do it illegally, there are consequences. But there’s something called unorthodox. That is not illegal. Where you will have to go the extra mile, and you know how to do that. It’s not illegal, I say. And there’s no consequences for it, for those who don’t understand it. If you understand it, you would not question it. Sometimes we need to go the extra mile.”
Minister Alexander told the officers to ignore the criticism and continue to stay focused on what they are doing.