Inspector Joan Benjamin, sub-officer in charge of the Admiral Town Police Station, shows children from the surrounding communities how to make decorations at a summer camp, which was organised by the police youth club last week.
-Ricardo Makyn
Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
WITH LITTLE more than half of its 400 police youth clubs being active across the island, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is reporting that its clubs are having an impact on crime reduction in some of the most volatile communities and have helped to improve the relationship with the residents.
Inspector Marcia Reid, publicity officer at the police Community Relations Department said, "In those areas that they (the clubs) are active, you find that the crime rate has reduced and they are able to motivate the young people."
Checks made with the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) to some extent confirmed this claim. For example, over a three-year period, in areas where the clubs were active, crime had decreased and in some areas it had fluctuated.
Evidence of the positive impact the clubs have had on crime was seen in the Denham Town area. The decline has been attributed to the Presidential Click Police Youth Club, which was formed in 2002 and serves the communities of Tivoli Gardens, Milk Lane, Oxford Street and Denham Town.
The crime statistics for this area showed major crimes declining from 196 in 2001 to 154 in 2002 and a further decline in 2003 to 145. The crimes examined were murder, shooting, rape, carnal abuse, robbery and break-ins. There were consistent reductions for all crimes for each year except for carnal abuse, which increased from two reported cases in 2001 to three in 2002 and peaked at 14 in 2003. For break-ins, there was a fluctuation in the figures, where it increased from 10 in 2001 to 16 in 2002 and peaked at 28 in 2003.
Natalie Gillespie, the 34-year-old secretary of the club sings the praises of the club, said "It helps me a lot, it let me know a lot about policing and that the police are friendly and that there are a lot of positive sides to the police."
Natalie said that at first, she was reluctant to become a part of the club because of previous bad experiences with the police. "I had a bad one because of their behaviour and I always use one stone to kill all birds but having gotten acquainted with them, that has changed my perception of the police," she said.
Natalie told The Sunday Gleaner that because of the club, the police/community relationship had improved. Before, "No police would dream of going there (Tivoli Gardens) now police can go into Tivoli Gardens and this is because of the youth club," she said.
'POLICE INFORMER'
Asked if she has not been called a 'police informer' because of her association with the police, Natalie said, "I did not have any fear because mi know that there is no truth to that".
Making a change in one of the most noted and feared community in Kingston has not been easy for the police at Denham Town Police Station. In February of this year the police station was attacked by scores of students from the Denham Town High School who stormed the police station with stones and bottles, protesting against the shooting of their schoolmate.
Commenting on the incident, Sergeant Hopelyn Henry, who is in charge of community relations at the station, said, "Those students who stoned the station were influenced by persons who had negative thinking about the police."
She said that up to the day before the incident the police had been working closely with the school. "That incident, although it was bad we still continue to work with them," she said. "Just like Jesus, if we can find one among them who is willing to work with the police, we will do it. We know that the leaders (in the community) did not sanction the actions (of the students). We felt disappointed that it happen but we are holding on."
The Presidential Click Police Youth Club over the last two years has moved its membership from 25 to 70 persons. The police have been able to keep the members involved by having regular meetings and sporting programmes. It has also established a job bank.
"We have a relationship with the business community and from time to time, persons are reluctant to employ people from inner-city communities but when they come with our recommendation, employers breathe a bit easier. We have recommended people for the Overseas Employment Programme too," said Constable Phillip Morris, leader of the club.
Another active club is the Admiral Town Police Youth Club, which was established some 20 years ago. According to Inspector Joan Benjamin, sub-officer in charge of the station, the club had not always been active. It was, however, revived in 2001 and is now boasting a membership of 55, comprising persons as young as six years.
She said that the vibrancy of the club was due mainly to the activities and programmes. "Most of the activities are centred around drama, sports and educational talks," she said.
The club has also formed a homework programme, which is held when school is in session from Mondays to Thursdays, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. from the primary to the secondary school level. With school now out for the summer break, Inspector Benjamin said that just last week it commenced its summer programme with activities to help keep them occupied for the summer.
While admitting that its vibrancy had little impact on crime, Inspector Benjamin explained that this was because gangs in the community were fighting over turf. The Sunday Gleaner was, however, unsuccessful in getting the crime statistics for this community.
SELECTED FEW
"It is only the selected few who are involved in crime, but I see where they can be guided," she said. Signs of this transformation were seen sometime ago when boys who were a part of the club stole some things in the community, but with her intervention, the items were shortly returned.
In the communities surrounding Spanish Town where there have been several recent flare-ups of violence, crime has fluctuated. In 2001, there were 454 crimes committed in this area, this number increased to 511 in 2002 and declined to 464 in 2003.
Constable Marvin Franklin, of the Spanish Town police and co-ordinator of the clubs said that there were five active clubs in that division. The clubs, he said, are Lauriston, Spanish Town, Lakes Pen, Royal Place Estate and Hartlands. Each, he said, has at least a membership of 40. He said that there was a general reduction in crime in these communities.
However, he noted that in troubled communities such as Ellerslie Pen and Tawes Pen there were no police youth clubs. "A youth club is now in the process of being formed in Tawes Pen and Ellerslie Pen. It is has not come through yet but we are working on it," he said.
In Runaway Bay, St. Ann, the police youth club there has also been touted as one of the most vibrant, with a membership of 25. However, the statistics for this area reflected otherwise. There was an upward movement of crime for the three-year period, where it moved from low as 13 in 2001 to 79 in 2002 and 45 in 2003.
