Geisha Kowlessar
4 Aug 2010
Last year some 700 children were held in connection with serious crimes, including kidnapping and possession of arms and ammunition.
This was revealed yesterday by general manager of Crime Stoppers Keith Subero during a luncheon held at Goodwill Industries, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, by the Rotary Club of Port-of-Spain. According to Subero, statistics revealed by the police reflected the offences also included house-breaking and larceny.
For the year, Subero said, some 200 children, including students under 18, also were arrested by police for the same type of offences. Describing the statistics as “alarming” Subero called on students to use the Youth Crime Stoppers Programme to report untoward activities which may be occurring in their schools. The programme, Subero emphasised, was anonymous as there was no caller identification feature.
He also urged parents to call Crime Stoppers as children may be unwilling to call in for themselves. The Youth Crime Stoppers was introduced in schools last January and the feedback, Subero said, was “reasonably good.” He added: “Our biggest challenge is getting people to simply trust the system. People are just very distrustful. “We are going to intensify the youth programme in all schools because school violence is very real and it is frightening.”
