Scholarship Program - Scholarship Recipients

Elizabeth Baptiste is a distance learning graduate student pursuing a Master’s Degree in Forensic Science with a concentration in Arson, Explosives and Firearm and Toolmark Investigations (AEFTI) with the Oklahoma State University (OSU). She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Greenwich and a Diploma in Firearm and Toolmark Examinations from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Academy. Her motivation to enrol in the master’s degree derived from the need to provide greater support to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre (TTFSC) by becoming a qualified and competent Firearm and Toolmark Examiner to complement the limited number of experts locally. Her professional policing experience spans over ten (10) years across several departments within the TTPS where she played several roles in General Policing, Human Resource Policy Development, Close Body (VIP) Protection, Covert Investigations, Background Checks, Latent Fingerprint Identification, Crime Scene Photography and Crime Scene Management. She is currently posted at the TTFSC as a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner. Her in-service professional training includes; Firearm and Toolmark Examinations, Examination of Fired Ammunition Components and Comparative Pattern Analysis Theory, Introduction to Forensic Ballistics, Building a Crime Gun Preventative Strategy in the Caribbean, Cartridge Case Triage, Evidentiary Hearings, Crime Scene to Court Training, Measures to Prevent Armed Violence Against Women, Shooting Incident Reconstruction, a Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective and a Double Cast Cartridge Case Course, among many others. On completion of her master’s degree, Elizabeth proposes to contribute substantially to the Strategic Plan of the TTPS where she intends to transfer her knowledge and skills in a sustainable manner to build capacity within the TTPS and the TTFSC. Through networking with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Academy she hopes to provide training and sensitization initiatives to assist all stakeholders to become more efficient in the prevention and detection of gun crimes at various levels. She intends to eventually undertake PhD studies within the field. An investigative assessment on the impact of Firearm and Toolmark Investigations on the administration of justice within her jurisdiction and the wider Caribbean Region, is one of many research projects she plans to undertake with the view of improving the quality of service she provides.