RESIDENTS OF WESTERN JAMAICA GEAR UP FOR MAJOR COMMUNITY POLICING EVENT THIS THURSDAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

RESIDENTS OF WESTERN JAMAICA GEAR UP FOR MAJOR COMMUNITY POLICING EVENT THIS THURSDAY

Kingston, Jamaica – October 5, 2010:
Residents of western Jamaica will have the opportunity to share their experiences on Community Policing, as well as learn more about best practices in community safety, during the Community Policing Conference in Montego Bay on Thursday, October 7. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is hosting the event.

The conference, which will be held under the theme “Partnerships for Safer Communities”, will run from 9:30am until 2:15pm. Among communities, which will be sharing their experiences, are Flanker in St. James, Whitehall and Russia in Westmoreland, Orange Bay in Hanover, and Race Course in Trelawny. These are among the over 57 communities islandwide, actively engaged in community policing partnerships.

The morning session of the Conference will include presentations from partners in Community Policing, while the afternoon session will feature a panel discussion on the theme: “Overcoming barriers, building partnerships for safer communities”. Panellists comprise Mr. Denver Frater, Assistant Commissioner of Police - Area 1; community representatives from western Jamaica, as well as representatives from the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and the Social Development Commission.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant who heads the JCF’s Strategic Review Implementation Team (SRIT), outlines that Community Policing comprises a partnership between residents, their local police, elected officials, church and service agencies working together to identify, prioritise and solve social problems. She says there is a noticeable greater level of respect and engagement between stakeholders in community policing initiatives. “The stakeholders prioritise and solve problems of crime, disorder, and community decay,” ACP Grant points out. She explains that the community stakeholders try to understand the conditions that give rise to the problems affecting their neighbourhoods; develop and implement short and long-term tailored solutions. Over 5,200 police personnel have so far been trained in community policing

As the Community Policing partnership gains momentum in the once volatile inner-city community of Russia in Westmoreland, the community has experienced a 61 per cent decline in major criminal activities since 2006.There has been a decline from 18 incidents in 2006, to 12 in 2007 and eventually 7, last year. Data from the Police Statistics Division shows that murders declined from five in 2006 to one, while other incidents such as shootings, break-ins and robberies have also decreased over the same period. The reduction in crime reflects the efforts of a partnership that has been creating community-wide success in problem-solving and safety initiatives.

Anthony Earle of Russia explains that the respect and cooperation between the residents and other stakeholders is growing, and that partnership includes the Social Development Commission, the Youth Clubs, the residents, the church and the police. He says last year the residents and police worked on a basic school in the area as a Labour Day project. Mr. Earle states that the residents have expressed relief that crime has trended downwards as a result of the new citizen-police partnership.

One of the partners in the Community Policing Programme is the USAID Community Empowerment and Transformation Project (COMET), which has given technical and administrative support to the programme. USAID COMET believes that Community Policing is essential to community improvement and central to the culture change and other key reforms stipulated in the Recommendations of the 2008 Report of the Strategic Review of the JCF. Sharene McKenzie, Acting Chief of Party, USAID COMET, has endorsed the Community Policing Conference in Montego Bay as an important step in promoting community policing initiatives in Jamaica. “This effort by the JCF and it's Community partners to highlight Community Policing in action is a step in the right direction as it builds public awareness on the principles and practices of Community Based Policing, while at the same time demonstrating how community problems can be solved through partnerships,” says Ms. McKenzie. Mr. Sean Osner, Supervisory Programme Officer, USAID/ Jamaica will be one of the presenters at Thursday’s Community Policing event.

The Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) is another Community Policing partner. CSJP is a multi-faceted crime and violence prevention initiative of the Ministry of National Security, which focuses on building community safety and security. The programme provides crime and violence prevention services to 28 vulnerable and volatile communities, and conducts institutional strengthening of the Ministry of National Security. The violence prevention services include: conflict resolution for homes, schools and communities, home work assistance, mentorship and skills/entrepreneurial training. Among communities which are collaborating with the CSJP on crime and violence prevention initiatives are Russia in Westmoreland, Granville and Flanker in St. James, Mountain View in Kingston and August Town in St. Andrew.

Another of the Community Policing partners is the Social Development Commission (SDC). Sherine Walker-Francis, Director of Governance, SDC, notes that the community safety/policing initiative has been widely appreciated. “Some communities welcome the approach and see it as a great opportunity and catalyst for enhanced community safety and the larger development of their community,” However, Walker-Francis explained that for others, the concept of “informer” continues to hinder the process.

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Contact:
Erica James-King
Communication Manager | PROComm P 876-926-6740 | M 876-564-5277 | F 876-926-8676