THE Cops and Faith Network (CFN) has reached new heights in ‘D’ Division, after the body was established — a few years ago in partnership with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) — to foster initiatives at the community level to enhance the lives of youths.Under the stewardship of Commander Stephen Mansell and Pastor Derek Anderson, among 60 faith-based leaders, community-based programmes are going well and bearing fruit.

The La Grange/Nismes/Bagotville Youth Empowerment Programme has started at the Bagotville Community Centre, targeting 150 youths who are enrolled in Information Technology (IT) and sports, including boxing and football, Mansell said.

He added that, on Friday last, he was present with other officers during the handing over ceremony when three footballs were donated to the club. A committee was also established to manage the affairs of the club.

Mansell said that more than 40 youths from Crane Housing Scheme will benefit from football training from the police in that corridor. Retired national football coach Earl O’Neil will be there to assist the youths on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 hrs to 17:30 hrs. This is another social crime prevention programme aimed at identifying talent through sports, the Commander said.

He pointed out that Goed Fortuin Youth Development has a social crime prevention programme as well, which is termed The Three R’s – Recruit, Restore and Reward. It caters for 175 early school-leaver youths and the unemployed.

Mansell said these persons are being trained in IT and sports, which include football and martial arts. Sessions take place at Wales, La Retraite, La Grange and Vreed-en-Hoop. This month-end, an inter-youth karate championship will be held at the West Demerara school auditorium.

He noted, too, that a vibrant La Grange Girl Guides group exists. This group has a membership of 24 girls between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. He also said that the Leonora Technical and Vocational Skills Training Centre has 77 youths in classes in several fields, including hairdressing, mechanic, electrical and others. Graduation will take place in July this year.

Mansell said the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Project has been extended to Leonora, Uitvlugt, Zeeburg, and Stewartville Secondary schools, targeting first formers.

He said the Crane Social Crime Prevention Programme engages youths from the West Jetty and Plastic City at Vreed-en-Hoop. He added that the CFN will also be embarking on establishing social crime prevention projects at Hog and Fort islands, Tuschen, Parika, Zeeburg, and Bonasika.

The CFN is also seeking to have a recruitment drive wherein young adults will be encouraged to enroll at the Government Technical Institute (GTI).

Pastor Anderson, who is part of the Cops and Faith Network and is attached to the Assemblies of God Church at La Grange, said that since establishment of the collaborative effort between faith-based organisations and the police, a positive impact has been had on such issues as loitering, which has become a thing of the past in most communities.

He noted that the CFN projects are geared towards equipping youths, who may be delinquent or school dropouts, with a life skill so they can earn meaningfully rather than gravitate towards a life of crime.

Pastor Anderson said the Cops and Faith Network, in which 60 faith-based leaders are involved, is working closely with seven police stations on the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara. He explained that CFN works with the station sergeants to come up with new ideas for programmes to be implemented, so the youths can benefit and cease being afraid of the police.