Police to get school services, gender-based violence units

ACTING National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said Cabinet has confirmed new specialist units for the police including a school services unit and a gender-based violence unit.

He was speaking yesterday at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. Hinds said Cabinet confirmed five specialist units: white collar crime unit; the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), a gender-based violence unit, with particular attention to women and children; a school services unit; and a specialised investigation units.

On the school services unit Hinds said, “There have been a lot of challenges coming out of the school system and largely sometimes away from the school compound, to and from school, but involving school children generally.”

Asked if the school services unit will have truancy officers who would escort truants back to their school, or officers assigned to schools, Hinds replied that it will be a blend of both. Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the ministry has received a request from the Commissioner of Police to have a meeting with officers and ministry officials and this should take place in the very near future to iron out details of the unit.

“The Commissioner of Police is very keen on having these discussions so that we can move to ensure that our schools continue to be safe.”

On the specialised investigations unit Hinds said the detection rate “is not what it ought to be” and a specialised unit will add great value.

SORT, a specialised task force used for high risk operations and whose members are usually masked, has been in operation for months. Hinds said the Cabinet approved the units and it will be up to the police to effect them and pointed out SORT informally existed “so now the formality is in place.” He said National Security Minister Stuart Young is in constant contact with the Commissioner of Police and the units would have been the result of consultations.