Eastern Division Hosts Open Day Events at all Precincts
Coming off weeks of almost incessant reports and allegations of Police brutality, most of them against the Gang Suppression Unit, some good news was overdue, and we got it. The Eastern Division today help open days in all four of their precincts stretched across the city. It’s an innovative concept which seeks to bridge the gap between the Police, business, and residents and it has become a very vital aspect of community outreach. This morning Mike Rudon headed to Precinct One in the city and has the story.
Mike Rudon, Reporting
Through the community policing initiative, the Eastern Division has decided to hold awareness open days in all four precincts as a way of reaching many more residents. It’s an innovative idea, with the participation of Police departments, as well as government and non-governmental organizations offering a variety of services.
Douglas Hyde, Public Relations Coordinator, Eastern Division
Douglas Hyde
“We have CYDP, along with CRD and also we have the Youth Department which looks at the youth services. We also invited the Fire Service and also the credit unions, the banks to talk and show their services and also in terms of the community to share with them how they can take advantage of the services they have.”
We could see the value of increased awareness right off…for example the Belize Family Life Association. I’ve always thought that organization was all about family planning, but it does a lot more than that, including the provision of basic health services.
Selene Henkis
Selene Henkis, Administrative Assistant, BFLA
“A lot of people think that BFLA is all about contraceptives and the abortion issue – but we also offer teen counselling, we offer health and nutrition services, we do diabetes testing, we do general health services, so it is very important for us to reach out to the community and let them know what it is that we offer so that they can come in and benefit from these services.”
Another very critical organization which we haven’t heard much about lately is the Inspiration Centre. It opened in April 2014, offering services to children with disabilities. The doors of the centre are wide open, and now they’re working on increasing awareness of the facility.
Waniki Sandoval, Physical Therapist Assist
Waniki Sandoval
“We offer a speech therapist, we offer a physical therapist, the child gets to see a medical doctor and a nurse. We also offer hydrotherapy. Right now at this present time we have eighty-three clients coming to the Inspiration Centre and we hope to get in more with this health fair to get more publicity.”
The event is becoming a big deal in the communities served by the four precincts. Last year more than seven hundred persons passed through Precinct One, located on Euphrates Street. PR Coordinator Douglas Hyde says these events are now a critical component of community policing – a sort of win-win scenario where the Police and the community benefit.
Douglas Hyde
“We’re also looking at community participation. We’re trying to get the communities more involved, and taking some of these agencies that are more office bound to get more involved in the communities. We’re also looking at more collaboration with these agencies. We’ve been doing it a lot, and so this is part of showing that we work together in many of the services we provide through community policing and the Police Department. So those are the two key areas and we also look at the continuance of doing programs like these which are very much important to the community. Bringing these to the community is way better than the community going to these offices and agencies.”
The Eastern Division has played a lead role in community policing. It is hoped that events like these will become structured in other formations countrywide. Mike Rudon for News Five.
