190 Police Cadets Complete Summer Programme
Today the Belize Police Department held its closing ceremony for its national annual cadet summer program. The programme, in its twenty-second consecutive year, saw the participation of almost two hundred cadets and forty-six instructors. The cadets, ages ten through to seventeen, were selected from across the country. They gathered in Ladyville where they participated in a number of activities and today some of the top achievers were rewarded with medals. News Five was at the closing program today in Ladyville. Reporter Andrea Polanco tells us more about what the primary and high school police cadets were up to in camp:
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
One hundred and ninety police cadets completed a one-week summer programme in Ladyville. The Belize Police Youth Cadet Corp seeks to build leaders in communities across the country between the ages of ten through to seventeen. Deputy Commander of Community Policing Superintendent Gerald Jones explains how this short programme fits in with its community policing initiatives.
Gerald Jones
Supt. Gerald Jones, Deputy Commander of Community Policing
“This fits in very nicely when it comes to one of our outreach program with the community. It has been around for the past twenty-four years but it has been twenty-two years since we have been holding this camp.”
Andrea Polanco
“How does it help with overall policing and working with the communities?”
Supt. Gerald Jones
“This helps a lot because we have community policing officers who would go to the different homes to visit, as well as schools. We do recruitment for the youths to join the police youth cadet corp. I am a proud member of the police youth cadet corp. I joined in 1994 when it first started and I rose through the ranks. This is one of the perfect examples for persons to become positive and good leaders for the community.”
For one week, the one hundred and ninety police youth cadets participated in a number of activities. They did drills, played sports, visited educational sites and also took part in a number of life skills and character building sessions.
Kenroy Elijio
Sgt. Kenroy Elijio, Camp Coordinator, 22nd Annual National Summer Camp
“We had some different organizations coming in that they gave talks to them about hygiene, gender-base violence, conflict resolution and leadership. They also went on educational tours to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary; Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing. They were also engaged in community service. They did the foot drill discipline that they look forward to that every year. We also had them engaged in leadership and life skills development; they interacted with each other; sporting disciplines including football, volleyball and basketball. We also had our annual church service where we brought in a local pastor to share the goodness about the gospel with them.”
Seventeen-year-old Beverlyn Martinez has been a member of the police youth cadet for twelve years. She shares some of her highlights from this year’s summer programme.
Beverlyn Martinez
Beverlyn Martinez, Police Youth Cadet
“It is quite interesting and it teaches us a lot because it teaches us how to return certain things back to our community. Also, it makes us be ourselves; teachers us self respect and a lot of interesting things. I enjoyed the tours and most of all the educational trips; the survival where we go in the bushes, learn how to make shelters, fires and how to learn to live in the bushes and how to survive.”
Superintendent Jones says that many persons who have passed through the cadet programme have gone on to become productive members of their community. He says sometimes the transformation is visible within days and the programme helps to set a strong foundation for the cadets.
Supt. Gerald Jones
“From the time I came here last week Saturday, there were two or three individuals who you can actually identify their behaviors. But today I can proudly say that those behaviors have definitely changed. I hope that that is has been for the long haul. That is what the police youth cadet corp. does for you, it instills that discipline for you to become law abiding citizens for the future.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, you feel that this program sets a good foundation for them to move on and transition into productive work?”
Supt. Gerald Jones
“It boosts their morale to become productive citizens, as well as leaders because what we try to do is to instill that discipline that they require. Some of the times, or most of the times, parents are not there to give that support in terms of supervision. So, we try to keep this camp alive with the business community and government because it is something necessary for us.”
The cadets are divided into four regions: north, south, west and central. The overall performing region this year is from the west. Several of the cadets were recognized for outstanding contributions and participation in the written exam for promotion within the ranks of cadet corp., as well as for their performance in the sporting disciplines. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
