ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police (ACP) Devon Watkiss has called for more focus on combating youth illiteracy to tackle the national crime problem.

The senior police officer was addressing the recent Scholarship Awards Ceremony of the Area 4 Police Civic Committee Education Trust Fund at the Police Officers’ Club in St Andrew.

ACP Watkiss said gangs in Jamaica get most of their recruits from the country’s illiterate youth population, therefore, to undermine the gangs, youth illiteracy needs to be addressed.

“How is it that gangs are able to survive for more than four decades?” ACP Watkiss questioned, and further enquired, “Where are they getting their recruits from?”

The assistant police commissioner pointed out that illiteracy among young Jamaicans stands at 4.5 per cent, which means that some 49,000 youth aged up to 18 cannot effectively function in a modern society.

“We need to re-establish the rule of law through empowering this age group cohort,” ACP Watkiss said. “We have to get them literate, so that they have the facility to participate in the future of our country.”

ACP Watkiss, meanwhile, thanked contributors to the scholarships for providing educational opportunities to guide young students.

Howard Mitchell, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), pointed out that one way to address the country’s crime and developmental challenges was through the return of civics as a core subject in the school curriculum, which would assist young Jamaicans to better understand their rights and obligations as citizens.

“… We believe it is important that, from as early as possible, our children learn about their obligations to each other and to themselves,” said Mitchell.

Civics informs students about their rights, duties, and responsibilities as citizens; the structure and functions of Government, as well as the significance of national symbols and emblems.

The subject was reinstated in the school curriculum in 2012; however, Prime Minister Andrew Holness in 2016 said that the Government wanted more emphasis to be placed on the teaching of civics to counteract negative values to which students were exposed.

“Unless we get citizens involved, no amount of states of emergency will work, if they do not have hope; and, if they do not have a commitment to themselves and to their community,” Mitchell told the function.

One hundred students from inner-city communities in Kingston and St Andrew received scholarships at the awards ceremony.

Wayne Wray, chairman of the committee, said that, “Police officers pledged, ‘to serve and protect’ citizens, but all Jamaicans, including students, have a civic responsibility to ‘serve each other’.”

“During the past 15 years, the PSOJ provided more than $20 million in scholarships to some 600 deserving young people. But, we want more for our children and our communities,” Ray told the committee’s corporate partners. “We need your support, financially and otherwise, as there are numerous ways to contribute to the educational trust fund; and, we know that, ‘time and talent’ are just as valuable as ‘treasure’.”

Chris Hind, general manager, JN General Insurance (JNGI), said that JNGI, along with the JN Foundation, the corporate social entity in the JN Group, supported the work of the committee’s scholarship fund, as it provided economic upliftment and empowerment to deserving young Jamaicans.

“Education is the cornerstone of a modern, successful society,” he stated. “Therefore, young minds must be exercised, developed and challenged, so that they are ready for the increasing pace of change and opportunity in our world.”

Hind, who also serves as the assistant treasurer of the committee, added: “Partnering with the police, to serve the community is essential as education and learning will only thrive in communities and societies that are secure. Hence, the police are our major partners to make our communities safer and young people more conducive to learning and development.”