Campaign for safety and security coming to you

According to CSP programme director Gregory Sloane-Seale, the pilot programme instituted nine years ago in 21 targeted communities, “Managed to reduce homicides in the communities we worked in by 45 percent, woundings and shootings were down by 29 percent, and sexual assault was down by about 35 percent.” Sloane-Seale was speaking on Thursday last at the “Comeunity” Conference held at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. Over 200 community activists representing the partner communities were at the conference to plan for further safety and security measures for their communities with their partners that included the University of Trinidad and Tobago which facilitated workshops on crime and public safety and entrepreneurship; the Ministry of National Security and the Inter American Development Bank (IABD).

Funded by the IADB, Sloane- Seale said, some $185 million was spent over the nine years, or an average of less than $21 million a year.

“Crime and violence are going down in the communities we have worked in. A lot of positive things are taking place in the communities that had not been taking place nine years ago,” he said.

Some of the major challenges the CSP tackled included domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse and use especially among young people, youth delinquency and gun-related violence, academic underachievement, trauma reduction and counselling, mediation.

“We want to make sure young people have options. It’s about the importance of community engagement. Today is a testimony to those who did not sit by and just watch. You decided to get up and get engaged so that Trinidad and Tobago can be a better place,” Sloane-Seale said.

The communities targeted included Mt D’or, Farm Road, St Joseph, Arima, Sangre Grande, Pinto Road, La Romaine, Embacadere, Enterprise, Dibe, Patna, Cocorite, Covigne, East Portof- Spain and environs including St Barbs, Never Dirty, Beetham Gardens, Gonzales, and Morvant.

Three communities in Tobago - Bethel, Bon Accord and Greater Scarborough were also involved in the programme.

The overall programme included transfers of skills to build capacity and deal with risk factors to contribute to the reduction of crime and violence under-served communities.

One of the objectives of the public awareness campaign, Mark White of CMB communication company said, was to destigmatise the under-served communities, and target at risk youths mainly in the under 14 age group. CMB will conduct the awareness campaign which will begin with murals on walls days before the launch. The campaign will include traditional and social media, an art exhibition across the country and live social media interaction.

While Sloane-Seale could not speak about the future of the programme, he said, “I believe that within the ministry there is an intent to continue with the programme.

That would be left up to Cabinet.”