A campaign was launched yesterday to raise public awareness of abuse and crimes committed against the disabled. It took the form of an awareness march through the streets of Port-of-Spain held jointly by the WASA Sports and Cultural Club and the Caribbean Utilities Employees Association.
The event featured representatives of the local and Caribbean law enforcement community, family members, representatives of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Committee (LETRC) who are joining forces to raise funds for the Special Olympics of T&T and are campaigning for the eradication of the word “retard.”
Speaking in support of the initiative yesterday, police public information officer Insp Wayne Mystar said:“The public must know that members of the differently-abled community are just like everyone else and they need the respect that is due them and raising this level of awareness is very important.”
He said yesterday’s event was also in keeping with one of the goals of the T&T Police Service for more interactions between law enforcement officers and the public. He said the special project was a classic example of how police officers can partner with members of the Defence Force, Civilian Conservation Corps, NGOs and volunteers for a worthy cause.
LETRC director Insp Richard Taylor expressed satisfaction at the large turnout of participants, including Caribbean law enforcement representatives. He said the march gave citizens an opportunity to see the men and women of the various protective services in a different light. Other Caribbean countries participating in the event were Anguilla, Antigua, Montserrat, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.