COMMANDER of ‘E’ Division, Calvin Brutus said yesterday that the division is moving ahead with its life skills training programmes, which target unemployed youths, and that so far, they have had excellent responses.He stated that as part of their social crime prevention initiative, the Block 22 Youth Group is gearing for auditions for the Youth Expo billed for August.

The preliminary session, he said, is underway, and is under the tutelage of Chief Judge, Charmaine Blackman.

The senior officer told this newspaper that the Kiruni and Silver Hill Youth Group started their leathercraft making, where they had mats, handbags, and belts on sale.

In addition, he noted that the Women’s Group was successful in their craftmaking, and had their products of fruit and floral baskets and purses on sale.

The programme, he said, particularly targets unemployed youths, who, having completed their secondary education, are now looking for work.

He explained that there are also some very qualified young people in that division without jobs, too, but at the same time, many of them do not have life skills training.

As such, some have since joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF), while others are doing nothing and they have stepped in and engaged those youths in meaningful activities so they can be gainfully employed.

Brutus stated that on most weekends, the GPF would get the youths to participate in the ongoing clean-up campaign they have in that region, and they would also engage them in interactive sessions.

He pointed out that the One-and-a-Half-Mile Youth Group held their cookery classes and interactive session recently, and that it was well received.

Brutus also stated that it is because of these youth-based initiatives that the serious-crime rate is down by 38% this year. They recorded one murder this year and robbery under arms has been reduced by 19%.

As for break-and-enter and larceny, he said that the rate has increased by 47% and being perpetrated by teenagers between the age of 13 to 15 in that community.