Grande police work on Bridging the Gap

Sangre Grande is a hub which leads to some of the country’s most picturesque beaches and tourist attractions, but for years its residents have been struggling because of lack of employment. Because of this many have turned to a life of crime.

Officer Felix Persad, attached to the Sangre Grande Police Station, said the upsurge of crime has caused great concerns for both the police and the community, which was why he started the Bridging the Gap project.

“The Damarie Hill community is one of the hotspots in the Sangre Grande district. In the eastern division we have hotspot areas as it relates to crime. We are trying to see how best we could work together with the community to build that trust and that unity again, and the only way to know the needs of the people was to do an assessment of the people.

“I started the project Bridging the Gap on April 13 and it is expected to bring awareness and foster cohesion between the police and the community so we can work in unison. The project is being done in three phases in a collaborative effort between the police, the Sangre Grande Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and various non-governmental organisations.”

Persad said the project takes into consideration the socio, economic and emotional needs of the people. The first phase of the project was to conduct a survey to see how best they could meet the needs of the people. He said 19 per cent of households indicated they wanted employment, while six per cent said they were looking educational benefits such as homework classes and remedial classes. The second phase took the form of a sports and family day with a turn out of over 250 people.

“We have reached a level now where the community understands the role of the police and our need to enforce the law. The Sangre Grande Police have turned from just arresting people to also sensitising them and educating them of the offence.”