A GROUP of children, Sunday, gathered at the Police Sports Club at Eve Leary, Kingston, to participate in celebrating the annual pre-Christmas event hosted by the Guyana Police Force.

According to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, children are a major responsibility of the Guyana Police Force. Accordingly, this event is a must-happen in the force’s calendar.

The children, who are a part of the Rosemary Lane Youth Group, are honoured every year at the annual Christmas party (concert). According to Persaud, the children are given small cash tokens for doing their pieces (dances, poems, skits) at the party.

The Rosemary Lane Methodist Church and the Guyana Police Force have been working over the years to instill values and morals into the lives of children around the country, especially those living within depressed communities.

According to the Crime Chief, it is anticipated that the youth group will be expanded shortly, moving from a one-day meeting on Sunday to something consistent.

This, he said, is the mandate of Police Commissioner Henry Greene, since he believes that this investment is necessary for enhancing the lives of children in the country.

The Crime Chief commended the ranks and the members of the Rosemary Lane Youth Group who have been working assiduously over the years to instill morals and values into the lives of the children under their charge.

“We are responsible for children around the various communities, and this here (annual Christmas event) seeks to develop the capacity of the children in the youth clubs … We try to develop their skills and abilities, and the interpersonal skills of these children through these activities,” Persaud said.

Persaud said that since the organization is one that contributes to social control, this event is hosted in tribute to the children, to give them a sense of significance.

He said: “We are all social individuals and we are responsible for all the children in the various areas where we live.”

Because of the commitment of the ranks who have been involved in nurturing these youths, and the police force’s partnership with the religious community, the youth group has been successful.

“This programme is now about twenty years old, and we have been consistent in our engagement, starting from the beginning, under Commissioner Lewis … then it passed through three other commissioners to the present one,” he said.

He said that the Guyana Police Force believes that this initiative can help to reduce the amount of violent expression that is acted out by children.

“And because of that strong belief, ranks are willing, and our partnership with the church has been successful. We have managed to keep this programme going, and have since expanded it.
“Therefore, what (this programme) seeks to do is develop capacity of the children that engage in the youth club, and also instill values that will be there for all their lives. We thrive to develop their interpersonal skills, so they can interact with people in more conventional ways,” the Crime Chief highlighted.

He said that not only in Guyana, but around the world, persons from various communities, especially depressed communities, express themselves in different ways, and most times through violence.

The force hopes that these sessions will work well in curbing those issues that are continuous in the lives of some youths.