Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

Students participating in the summer programme at the Pagee Community Centre in St Mary. - Photo by Nedburn Thaffe

PORT MARIA, St Mary:

THE ST Mary Police Community Safety and Security Branch and two of its social partners have embarked on a plan which they say will help to foster sustainable social development among children in some of the most volatile communities in the parish.

The police, the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the St Mary Crime Prevention Committee have been reaching out to more than 400 children through free summer schools in six different communities - Mile Gully, Hartland, Rose Street, Windsor Castle, Annotto Bay and Pagee in Port Maria.

The programme is being directed by Sergeant Alston Munroe and Constable Rochelle McGibbon.

Special focus for pagee, annotto bay

According to Jeanette Rose-Bryan, manager for the St Mary Crime Prevention Committee and the St Mary SDC, special focus will be placed on the communities of Pagee and Annotto Bay because they have shown a noticeable increase in unemployment and criminal activities over the years.

"What we realise is that some of these communities are rich in culture and have a lot of talented citizens, but they need to see development taking place," said Rose-Bryan.

The Pagee group is the largest, with more than 200 participants.

Daily, the children engage in recreational activities and are tutored by 24 trained volunteer teachers.

Counselling sessions and motivational talks are also held with students aged 13 to 17.

Hot meals are also provided through donations from Food For the Poor.

Parent education in future plans

The St Mary SDC said it plans to expand the programme to provide parent education and skills training through the intervention of HEART Trust/National Training Agency.

Sergeant Munroe said he had high expectations for the expanded programme.

According to him, a multi-agency approach to community issues can help to stem criminal activities and increase the employment levels.

One parent, Lorna Brown, commended the programme, saying that it has opened avenues for the community to interact with the police.

Brown said it also assisted parents who wanted to send their children to a summer school but did not have the money to do so.