By John Myers Jr., Staff ReporterMORE THAN 300 youths from communities across the island have descended on the Garvey Maceo High School in Vernamfield, Clarendon, to participate in a special empowerment and development training camp organised by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), through its Community Relations Division and youth club movement.
NINE-DAY CAMP
Sergeant Paul Bernard, director of the nine-day camp, which forms part of the JCF's renewed emphasis on community policing in the fight to tackle the country's high crime rate, will impart to the participants "different skills training so that when they go back to their club they can use the skills that they learn in areas such as screen printing, shoe repairing, to make some money for their clubs."
He said the camp would also help the youths to become more sociable and tolerant of each other. "When you have the interaction started from an early age, youths socialising with youths from different backgrounds from Trench Town, August Town, Fletchers Land they get to understand each other much better," Sgt. Bernard emphasised.
ANNUAL EVENT
The camp which runs from August 8 to 16, is an annual event organised by the Police Youth Club. This year's camp also forms part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the movement.
With the diversity in the backgrounds of the 366 youths attending the camp, the director conceded that "it's very challenging, we have friction after friction, after friction, but we train our counsellors and police officers to be very tolerant for you won't find them conforming to the camp rules overnight".
In explaining the daily routine of the camp, Sgt. Bernard noted, "We wake them up at quarter to five in the mornings and then we take them for exercise to get them ready for the day. We have competitions in football, netball, we have quizzes, we have a dormitory competition for the best kept dorm." He said the youths are also given valuable lessons in conflict resolution management, and information technology.
GET TO LEARN SOMETHING
Tanya Smith, a 22-year-old camp participant from August Town, east rural St. Andrew and a member of the Mona Police Youth Club, spoke highly of the programme. "It has been good because when you come here you get to learn something and you can take it back to your club or community and teach other youngsters like yourself," she said.
Dwaymian Brissette, another participant from Montego Bay, said the camp has helped him develop "interpersonal skills. I am now trained to deal with conflict resolution and I have been groomed properly to overcome shyness or tardiness." He said it also afforded him the opportunity to form a lifelong friendship with police who are normally perceived of negatively by people in his community.
