Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 25, 2017 (SKNIS): Constable Lauston Percival of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), and Coordinator for the August 14-27 first annual Police Summer Youth Camp, said that although the camp is nearing the end it will not really be over as it is their hope to form community groups around the island.
“From this camp, what we are going to do is to start forming community groups. It is going to start here with these young ones and when school reopens in September it is just ‘go man go’. It is a camp with a different style,” said the camp coordinator, while engaging the media during the camp’s parade day on Friday, August 25. “We are going to be using the children from the schools and in the communities and engaging them in community events, community youth groups and we are going to do this probably every weekend or it depends on how things go. And how we get things organized you would definitely see youth groups popping up all over the country.”
He expressed heartfelt thanks to all the agencies and/or institutions who partnered with and assisted them to ensure that the camp was successful. He especially thanked the community members who voluntarily gave of their best and lent support to the camp. Constable Percival said that teamwork between community and police is always appreciated and hopes that the practice continues going forward.
“Whenever the police and the community collaborate we can get anything done, and as our catch phrase ‘we all fight together’ that is what we are going to continue doing. We are going to continue fighting together, police and community hand in hand and we are going to take St. Kitts [and Nevis] back to where it was – land of beauty and peace,” said Constable Percival, adding that the level of assistance given by officers and community members should be highly commended. …“I am totally impressed with how things went and I am totally impressed with the officers who are assigned to the camp, how they displayed their willingness to work with the children and also the persons from the community. They came and assisted us with the children, every day for the two weeks.”
One aspect of the camp highlighted by Constable Percival was the messages displayed by the campers during the parade. He explained that the messages were powerful, as they reinforced what was taught during the camp.
“What we saw this morning [August 25] are totally messages that were taught to them throughout the two weeks, especially yesterday’s [August 24] when the commissioners came and engaged the children in conversations and we saw what came out of the two weeks being played back to the commissioners,” he said, adding that he is impressed with the way in which the children displayed their creativity. “I think what stood out for me is the march because even though the sun was a bit hot the children stuck to the task. They came with the placards that they made and I think that they displayed their talent and their willingness to go the extra and to let the general public know, look, we are out there and we need people to stop doing the wrong things they are doing because we need a future.”
Constable Percival said that upon completion of and assessment of the camp, plans will be put in place to organize next year’s event. He said the plan is to spread it throughout the island and include the sister island of Nevis, as it should also have its own Police Summer Youth Camp.
The first annual Police Summer Youth Camp culminates on Sunday, August 27, with a church service at the Christian Life Assembly in Bladen’s, Basseterre.
