Cops swoop down on ‘trouble’ schools

THE PRESENCE of policemen at selected secondary schools in South Trinidad has resulted in a decline in violence and indiscipline among students at these schools. The decision to deploy newly recruited SRPs and community police officers to these schools came after violence erupted with gangs of students targeting each other, other students and even teachers, last year. Officers have been assigned to nine schools, including Marabella Senior Comprehensive, San Fernando Senior Secondary, Pleasantville Junior, Pleasantville Senior Secondary, Fyzabad Composite, Cedros Composite, Siparia Senior Comprehensive, Siparia Junior and Point Fortin Senior Comprehensive. There are plans to assign officers to schools in Central Trinidad, chief among them the Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive, according to head of Central Division, Snr Supt Farrell.

Snr Supt Dawson Victor, head of the Southern Division and ASP Jemmott, of the South Western Division, felt the police presence had curbed the incidents of indiscipline and violence at the schools. This view was echoed by San Fernando community officer Sgt Michael Morace, who emphasised the need to have the Community Policing Unit (CPU) back to full strength. He said since the reintroduction of the CPU, after it was disbanded last year, community officers had been visiting and lecturing students at “trouble schools” and the situation at these schools had improved. An official from the Siparia Senior Comprehensive School, which was plagued with violence late last year resulting in teachers boycotting classes, expressed relief at the police presence at the school.

“The place is as peaceful as a convent. The teachers are comfortable. One of the biggest impact is that their presence is keeping out intruders.” However, at the Marabella Senior Comprehensive the response has been mixed. According to a school official, while the administration appreciated the police presence, they have not achieved the positive effect they hoped for. “The students continue to be indisciplined and insolent. Last Wednesday, a female Form One student was held with cigarettes and alcohol on the compound and a Form Six student was held with marijuana in his socks. “The students seem to be very defiant,” the official said. There is one SRP officer on patrol at that school as well as MTS guards.