East Coast Demerara police continue to target youths

Jun 09, 2014 News

The Guyana Police Force continues to carve niches in several East Coast Demerara communities, targeting youths in their efforts to reduce crime, by fostering better community/police relations.
This was highlighted when the Police ‘C’ Division launched another youth club yesterday, this time in the Mahaica area.
The group was launched with a total of 55 registered youths but according to the Division’s Deputy Commander Lawrence Kissoon, the amount is expected to grow.

Police ranks and members of the Mahaica CPG pose with children from the newly formed Police Youth Club in Mahaica.

He told Kaieteur News that the initiative was born out of the need to mould the minds of the young people in order to make them citizens who will contribute fruitfully to the development of their community and the country as a whole.
Kissoon, a Senior Superintendent of Police, said that he was motivated to establish the club when he visited the area less than a month ago to address the concerns of residents and members of the Community Policing Group in the district.
“I threw out the idea of forming the youth group and it was accepted by parents and members of the CPG,” Kissoon informed.
The idea was put to the youths at a subsequent meeting and they readily bought into it.
According to Kissoon, a lot of activities will be introduced, some of which will be conducted by the Community Policing Group in the area as well as parents, while others will fall under the supervision of the police themselves.
“For example, we will have things like indoor games and outdoor games under supervision, proper supervision. We will also engage them in a spelling bee competition, which will see them competing with other groups,” Kissoon explained.
He said that apart from the promised assistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, he will be seeking help from the Director of Sport to push the project forward.
The intervention by the police is seen as timely, since the feeling is that it could go a long way in preventing the youths from being the targets of drug dealers and other criminal minded persons.
“We start moulding them from now because ten years down the line will be too late. Without casting any aspersions, you might find drug addicts, you might find thieves…so we start moulding them from now,” the Deputy Commander explained.
Malcolm Bristol, the CPG Sub Divisional Chairman for sub Division three, is also in on the initiative.
He said that with the help of the Ministry of Home Affairs, his organization has a lot in store for the youths of the newly formed police youth club in the Mahaica district.
“At our monthly meetings, the Minister preaches to us that we must try to get youth groups and get the youths off the road. Because you know nowadays what is really going on with the drugs and the different things. If you can mould them from now, train them and bring them up in the way they are supposed to be, you will get a big difference in the community and our country as a whole,” Bristol said.
Meanwhile, he praised the police administration on the East Coast of Demerara for working together with them in a mutually respectful manner to effectively police the district.
Recently there has been a significant reduction of criminal activities on the East Coast of Demerara and the CPG body there intends to keep it that way by working hand in hand with the regular police ranks.
Earlier this year, the Mahaica CPG came in for high praise from Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee after they were able to capture a murder suspect who had been on the run for 10 years.
“We get 100 support from the Guyana Police Force,” Bristol said.
Chairman of the David Rose/Lancaster CPG Azad Osman, said that the youth group initiative will target those youths who are just out of school and are not presently engaged in any meaningful activity.
He said that these youths are the most vulnerable since they are more inclined to pursue activities that are not in keeping with being good citizens.

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