BEGINNING this Saturday, the Guyana Police, through their ‘A’ Division command, will commence skills training and sporting programmes with youths from three East Bank Demerara communities, namely Grove, Craig and Kaneville.

The programmes will be spearheaded by community leaders who already have current sporting activities with both boys and girls from Grove. Those efforts will be boosted through the assistance of Indira Hicken, wife of ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken and Kim Gordon, wife of the General Manager of the Guyana Chronicle.
The police will adopt a similar approach to the Albouystown, Tiger Bay and Agricola community projects, and will also be moving into Kaneville.
Speaking with residents of the areas Saturday last, Commander Hicken who got permission from the community leaders to use a facility on the Grove Community Centre ground related that the police will put in the infrastructure that will be able to accommodate the skills training programmes for the children.

He also stated that while the initial work will be with the young people, the police will also at a later date engage the adults in the communities to assist the police in the rolling out other services in the three communities.
Already the residents have been showing interest in the work the police are seeking to do in the community and they have outlined to the lawmen some areas of training they wish to receive.
For the skills training programmes, the police are looking to engage girls from ages 9 to 16 in tie-dying, fabric painting and sewing, among others. Mrs Hicken and Gordon have their expertise in the areas of painting and art and craft.
Meanwhile, among the males the police will be looking at mostly sports since many of the children in the three communities are already taking part in football and cricket.
And included on the team to work along with the police is a former Tactical Service Unit member who has been acting as a mentor for the young boys in the area while some executives from the Guyana Football Federation have also thrown their lot behind the programme.

(By Leroy Smith )