Police books for children

DETERMINED to sway youth away from a life of crime, Special Reserve Police (SRP) Marsha Rogers-Flemming has teamed up with a book store to provide stationary for children in the Claxton Bay district where she works.

In an interview with Newsday, Rogers-Flemming said the back-to-school drive will assist about 20 children, ages five to 16-years-old. The children are members of the police youth club that Rogers-Flemming heads.

“We wrote to several book stores asking for assistance and Mohammed’s responded, giving us a lot of the stuff we needed for the children,” Rogers-Flemming said.

She and three of her colleagues at the St Margaret’s station also contributed to purchase of some items. She said the drive is aimed at lessening the burden on parents as the start of the new school term approaches.

Rogers-Flemming said she often encounters children who may have issues at home and at school. She said in her five years in the service, her goal in helping children has always been a long-term one.

“In the mandate to fight crime, I believe in channelling the energy of youths in a positive direction, to show them there is hope which would lead to a deterrent in crime in five to seven years’ time.

“If children are given the right opportunities now, we will have less crime occurring in the future because those youngsters will know another life and another way of doing things.”

She believes that in addition to deterring crime in the future, the drive will foster better relationships between the community and the police.