At the September 26, 2015 observance of the Music School in the Community 4th Semester Recital and Certificate ceremony, hosted by the St James Police Youth Club of the T&T Police Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts, the T&T Chamber was quite impressed by the quality of the event and the performances of the club's members.
The T&T Chamber was a guest of the club as a result of a highly cooperative relationship between the club and the chamber's crime and justice committee. What the T&T Chamber saw confirmed that a wealth of talent exists in T&T's creative sector, as the performers stirred the audience with their skill and discipline.
Through the youths present, a face of the police not often seen was evident; the police officer in the community, a mentor and nurturing leader. The clubs are guided by four fundamental tenets: spiritual development, sporting and cultural activities, social and community work and academia. From these areas arise the wide variety of projects undertaken by the different clubs. The activities are avenues to ensure that the youths are directed to meaningful activities away from a life of idleness.
The St James Police Youth Club has been in existence for over 40 years now.
It was, along with Cocorite, one of two clubs established back in 1974. Today, there are 99 clubs throughout the country–seven in Tobago and 92 in Trinidad– with a combined membership in excess of 8,000. Each club is headed by a present or past police officer, who serves on a voluntary basis, assisted by an executive comprised of other police officers and civilians. Originally targeted to at-risk and delinquent youths, the clubs have now far exceeded the mandate and is open to all youths between the ages of five and 25.
Not just in this club, but within the many others are fostered dancers, musicians and sportspeople, among others. The clubs run classes in computer programmes, sporting activities, craftwork, vocational training such as garment construction and beauty culture, martial arts, remedial classes and support groups.
The St James Club, in particular, piloted a unique suspension programme which supervises youths who have been suspended from school, during school hours. Many members of clubs go on to enter the Police Service and, in fact, a number of members of the Police Band are past members of youth clubs.
The above-mentioned programmes and other projects undertaken all require funding which still remains a challenge, as clubs vie with competing interests for a shrinking sponsorship dollar.
According to our information, the annual vote in the T&T Police Service's budget for youth clubs is $4 million at present. While this may sound generous, when divided between the 99 clubs, it does not fully provide for meeting the average cost of $90,000 plus annually to run a club. Each club's executive must therefore make up the balance.
Another challenge is that most clubs have no permanent residence. Apart from St James, Roxborough in Tobago and Sangre Grande, the youth clubs depend on the charity of corporations and individuals for spaces to run their programmes. Yet, like any family, a home of its own is the heartfelt desire of every club in order to administer and deliver programmes efficiently while growing its outreach.
Given the need to engage young people in lawful activities and groom them to contribute in a wholesome way to societal development, Police Youth Clubs have played and can continue to play a crucial, positive role. The T&T Chamber encourages the members of the chamber and the wider corporate community to support these clubs in whatever way they can, whether through CSR programmes, traditional sponsorships or in-kind contributions. In addition, they may engage people coming out of the many worthwhile training programmes.
T&T is currently faced with a critical crime situation; many youths and even children are being recruited to a life of crime from which most derive very little financial, social or other gain. There is room for many programmes which take preventative measures to encourage youths away from criminal or unwholesome activities, and all should be embraced.
Investing in your community lends value not just in terms of an improved bottom line, but builds a better society which, ultimately, helps to reduce crime; a goal in which the corporate community has a vested interest.