Nat Sec’s community anti-crime initiative launched

The Ministry of National Security officially launched the community initiative of the National Crime Prevention Program (NCPP) in Port of Spain last Friday.

Port of Spain mayor Joel Martínez and Major Cheryl Richardson, national co-ordinator of the NCPP, chaired the launch at the Brian Lara Promenade. “It is a fantastic opportunity for all of us to participate in citizen protection through prevention,” Martínez said.

The mayor emphasised that after enjoying the best carnivals and the best music, it was time to work to stop the crime.

“Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, the city that has the greatest number of inhabitants and visitors and that is why we need to stop the crime, so that our children can enjoy their city,” Martínez added.

Speaking to reporters, Martinez said any program to combat crime is important and should have everyone’s support.

“There are various government organisations working on prevention, but it is also a duty of all to collaborate and participate,” he said.

During the launch, visitors were able to obtain prevention information through information booths along the promenade.

Conscious Agricultural Sourcing Agency, Children’s Authority, National Drugs Council, Ministry of Health, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Arts and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs had booths at the launch.

The NCPP is a community-centred initiative with a “whole government” and “whole society” approach to crime prevention.

The guiding principles are collaboration, empowerment and action.

This program is designed to involve, educate and empower communities to make crime prevention their responsibility, in order to achieve safer communities and a better quality of life.

The NCPP will work with communities to understand and address the root causes of crime and to build and maintain a national culture of crime prevention.