Crime preventing initiatives implemented in interior locations

A lot of focus is being placed on implementing initiatives outside of Government programmes that are geared at targeting youths for their educational and professional development.
These programmes are proving to be successful in curbing situations and instances where youths are involved in criminal activities.
This is according to Commander Kevin Adonis, who has responsibility for Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.

He told Guyana Times on Sunday that hundreds of children and youths from the mentioned regions are participating in sports as well as technical and vocational skills training – initiatives that his division along with various stakeholders have developed and implemented.
Commander Adonis explained that upon taking up the post last year, he became cognisant of the alarming number of children who were either not attending school or simply being involved in unlawful activities.
In light of this concern, the police in those regions along with other stakeholders, took matters in their own hands; using their financial resources to help provide better conditions for as many children as possible.
To date, there are hundreds of youths benefiting from the various initiatives. In fact, some of them cannot attend school because their parents are cash-strapped or too poor.
As a result of this, there are programmes for these children to attend classes, free of cost, outside of the school setting.
“This is helping to take their minds away from any crime-related situations, even some of them going into the backdams to work for paltry sums and at their own risk, so we decided this had to be done. The teachers who come and give services do so freely, they are not being paid, it is just that everyone wants to see these young people progress. Some children even learn knitting, are taught and play sports, all these things so that they can have opportunities at earning an income the right way when they need to.”
Additionally, it is not only the youths who are benefitting from this form of social intervention. Commander Adonis pointed out that there are programmes for younger children where they are taught phonics and reading as well.
“Some parents cannot afford to send their children to school for various reasons, even the young ones, so we hope to help them in this way. Our aim is to assist the children and in doing so, it has been noted that crime-related incidents involving youths have reduced drastically. The intention is to make sure they are given the opportunity of being the best they can be, even if it means that we and the other stakeholders have to spend our money in doing so.”