Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage decried the number of juveniles who are engaged in committing major crimes.
Speaking to a group of students during an Urban Renewal Youth Empowerment Seminar at Evangelistic Temple, Dr Nottage urged that they create positive paths for themselves, despite what their friends are doing.
He said far too many schoolage children are being arrested for crimes such as armed robbery, robbery, unlawful sexual intercourse and housebreaking.
He cited statistics from 2009 which revealed 202 juvenile boys had been charged with various criminal offences.
And he revealed that in 2010 the number charged had climbed to 268. Dr Nottage told the children that the school policing programme had found that far too many kids were still bringing weapons to school and some were claiming to be gang members.
He said he spoke to two boys who had been brought in to the guidance counsellor’s office at their school for carrying a knife and a screwdriver.
“They were concentrating on carrying weapons,” he said. “We tried to speak to them, their faces were all twisted up as if they could frighten us.”
Dr Nottage also told the students a story of a boy who brought marijuana to school to show his friends and subsequently revealed to school police that “daddy has a lot more at the house”.
He told the children to stay out of trouble and focus on school, adding that Urban Renewal centres were there to help them if they needed them.
He added that Urban renewal has been central to police intelligence gathering and that his constituency is presently benefiting from a 40-day clean-up campaign spearheaded by Urban Renewal.
By Chester Robards
Source: The Tribune
