Cops reach out
THE St Andrew South Police recently launched a socio-economic outreach programme, targeting thousands of residents in 40 communities in that division.
The programme was officially launched during a community meeting at the Duhaney Park Police Station in Kingston.
According to divisional commander, Superintendent Claude Samuels, the programme has three major components.
The first aspect, he said, involves the formation of a council of justices of the peace, who will act as mentors, councillors and mediators for people who commit minor offences, or who need to have disputes properly mediated before more serious infractions of the laws occur. The JPs are also expected to counsel offenders who commit minor infractions in cases where no police action is taken against them.
Samuels said the JPs would visit the Duhaney Park Police Station twice weekly to provide advice and counselling to persons experiencing problems and to ensure that the dispute resolution processes are “inculcated in the community as a matter of course”.
He said the police were aware that there are many resourceful and patriotic residents in the division who are willing to serve.
“Many of them are JPs and we are ready to work with all of them as there are crucial roles for them to play in maintaining order in each of the many communities in the division. And to put the lid on things, we will be asking these justices of the peace to adopt the area in which they live,” Samuels told the meeting.
A second element of the project, he said, was the decentralisation of the Victim Support Programme. He told the meeting that a local window has already been opened at the Duhaney Park station where officers from the national security ministry will provide – in an atmosphere of confidentiality – support for victims of rape, murder, arson and other major crimes. Victims will receive counselling on the second Monday and fourth Saturday of each month.
Samuels, who expressed high hopes that policemen will also find it necessary to utilise the victim support programme, told the Observer that the unit will also provide financial support to victims of fire and malicious destruction of property.
On the economic side, Samuels said the police and King Jami Recording Company have pledged $100,000 to help a group of talented young people in the Tavares Gardens community to create musical works for commercial exploitation both locally and abroad.
Samuels said already, seven young deejays have studio appointments with King Jami Records to lay soundtracks for a musical album.