Belmopan Police to Host Farm Camp for Youths
Howell Gillett
Community policing is taking on new life in Belmopan, where law enforcement officials are planning to host a farming camp for youths which will take them out into the fields, literally. Belmopan’s Commanding Officer Howell Gillett says that what he sees happening in other parts of the country, he wouldn’t want to see happen to Belmopan, so they have taken a proactive approach. This summer they’ll be paying special attention to youths between the ages of nine and fifteen.
Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, O.C., Belmopan Formation
“If we attack them at that age in a positive way we will be able to sway them away from a life of crime or criminality. That’s the same age that the criminals target them to turn them into gang members or possible shooters. So we have to be there and we’ve done the GREAT Program, we’ve done Do the Right Thing, but we’ve moved away from that old conventional way of policing – just arrest, charge and take people to Court. That works in certain instances but not in all. What will come the twenty-fifth of this month we’ll have some seventy-five kids between the ages of nine to fifteen who will be undergoing a number of things. They will see how cheese is processed, how milk is processed. They will learn how to make salsa casera and a number of other things. They will learn gardening, vegetable production…they will know about seedlings, and how to get them to grow, and also transplantation from a small plant to the garden. We will also have a prize for them for all those kids who produce the most vegetables, produce the largest ones – there are categories and I am so happy that you asked this because we have a very good relationship with the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Jose Alpuche and his Ministry is sponsoring all the monetary part of it on behalf of the Belmopan Police Department.”
The chairpersons from the twelve villages in the jurisdiction have already been asked to submit names of youths. Parents who’d like their kids to take part can also contact the Belmopan Police Department for more details.
