Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has called on society to work closer with the youth, saying it can ultimately help to reduce levels of crime. He made the comment at a graduation ceremony for participants in a Capacity Building Programme sponsored by the National Gas Company (NGC) at the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC), La Brea, recently. “We can change the dynamics of the future by working closely with our young people today,” Williams told the gathering. “We have been struggling for a long time with a major challenge around crime in Trinidad and Tobago. But fixing this challenge cannot rest solely on the efforts of the TTPS. “It is critical for success that we get all citizens on board and it is therefore extremely important for corporate citizens to invest in the development of our youth,” he said.
He praised NGC for fulfilling its corporate social responsibility to the nation’s youth and emphasised that he relished opportunities to attend functions where the major focus was on the young people of Trinidad and Tobago. Head of community relations at NGC, Wynda Chandler, said, “We believe community policing is an incredibly valuable tool in the pursuit of sustainable social development.” She said the company had conducted an evaluation of the community groups they support in the community last year and realised there was a need for “organisational strengthening, particularly in the area of management and related skills.” The capacity building programme was born out of that exercise, she said.
Chandler thanked the members of the Police Service who participated in the programme, which was facilitated by Everest Management and Communication Services Limited. The curriculum consisted of eight modules, including financial management, teamwork, communication, strategic planning, organisational development, event management, marketing and community relations. In an impromptu speech, T&T Olympic athlete Rondell Sorrillo, a La Brea ‘son of the soil’ back home from his studies abroad, urged the 30 graduates and young people of La Brea to discipline themselves and work diligently towards their goals. Following the ceremony, the audience was entertained by the NGC La Brea Nightingales, who are currently preparing for the Steelband Music Festival later this year.