MINISTER of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee yesterday launched the Kuru Kuru Community Policing Group (CPG) Youth Arm at the Dora Secondary School, Kuru Kuru Coop-College Compound, Linden/Soesdyke Highway. The objective is to keep the youths of the community usefully occupied so they could contribute positively to their community.

Among those present were Chairman of ‘A’ Division CPG, Roul Blyden; National Director of Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Philomena Sahoye-Shury; Liaison Officer to the Minister of Home Affairs Philip Ishmael, and others.
The youth arm consists of persons between the ages of 13 and 18.
Minister Rohee stated that he, along with members of his ministry, has always encouraged CPG youth groups to be established countrywide, as many young persons have expressed interest in protecting their communities.
He emphasised that youths have an important role to play in their communities and should be a part of volunteerism from an early age.
Minister Rohee encouraged the senior residents, including women of the community, to be a part of the group’s activities.
The Home Affairs Ministry recently held a Community Policing Convention where persons from various communities countrywide came together to share their expertise and experience towards providing better security systems.
He urged the youths in the group to learn from the Kuru Kuru CPG and other CPGs, as they need guidance and mentorship to carry out their duties.
The Minister commended the youths’ parents for allowing them to be a part of the group that will benefit the community as well as themselves, and wished the youths success in their undertaking.
“We will continue to be at your side. We will continue to give whatever support we can give and we will continue to hold community policing on high esteem because community policing is part of government’s crime-fighting strategy,” he asserted.
Minister Rohee urged the youths to synthesize their skills and come up with programmes that will encourage other youths to participate
Blyden, who briefly outlined the history of CPG, commended the members of the group for their initiative and noted that over the years the formation of CPGs around the country has been successful and at present there are 43 CPGs in the ‘A’ Division.

He added that CPGs are vital as they act as liaison to the community and the police force, which helps to reduce criminal activity and urged residents to be a part of the groups.
In addition to security, the youths, through the CPGs, will be engaged in constructive activities, which would keep them out trouble.
Blyden stressed that the ‘A’ Division will do its best to assist the group in any possible way to make it and productive.
Ishmael encouraged the residents to give moral support to the youths and said that the Ministry, along with businessmen from various communities, will pitch in financially to help to further develop the group.
Chairman of Kuru Kuru CPG, Vincent Hinds, who gave a brief history of the Kuru Kuru CPG, said that “to bring up good youths means to bring up good citizens for the community and the country.”  (GINA)