Major crimes such as murders, shootings, gang activity and gang violence have decreased in the Enterprise, Chaguanas area. The reason for this is said to be the strong impact of the Dass Trace Youth Empowerment Committee’s work on the youths in the community.
Over the past year, children, teenagers and young adults have been heavily engaged in community activities, including the formation of boys’ Under-17 and Under-10 football teams who have been successfully competing nationwide and also, for the girls, a group who also successfully competed in last year’s Prime Minister’s Best Village Competition.
After the Guardian Media highlighted the residents’ calls for the derelict pavilion facilities at the Dass Trace Recreation Ground to be refurbished and transformed into a homework centre and library for the children, the T&T Police Service’s Community Police and the Resistance and Prevention Programme under the Pan American Development Foundation, which is funded by the US Department of State, made it happen for the community.
A committee member told Guardian Media that there have been ongoing education camps to improve literacy, which she indicated has been a major success.” “Their reading, spelling and writing have significantly improved and last year, on Emancipation Day, we held our first spelling bee competition,” she said.
In another major upcoming event, T&T’s BMX Monster Energy-sponsored tour led by Trevlon Hall will make its way into the area on May 5, where they will meet and greet the youths in the community and show off their skills and talent. That day will kick off with a 5K marathon from 6 am, followed by the Dass Trace Sports Day before the displays from BMX riders and stuntmen from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim has expressed pride over the improvement in the behaviour and attitude of the youths in the community and praised the efforts of all the adults and organisations involved in assisting with crime eradication.
“This is what is needed in each and every community and I believe that Dass Trace be a shining example of what can be done to help the youths steer away from a life of crime,” Karim said.