Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Operation Future Launched

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 17, 2012 (SKNIS)

Students of the Tyrell Williams Primary School in Old Road have committed to become active agents in a bid to stop bullying and establish schools as a safe zone.

On Tuesday, Constable Lauston Percival of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and Dan MacMullin, both of Operation Future, facilitated a 45-minute interactive session to the young people outlining what is bullying, the varying types, ways it is carried out and how to react if one is a victim of bullying, or witnesses the act.

Sixth graders Melissa Drew and Lufkin Foster were enthused by the presentation and each said they learned a lot.

The message was especially potent to Lufkin. “I was bullied already,” he admitted, recounting a past experience at a summer camp. If such a situation was to occur again, fighting back or keeping the incident private is not an option. “I will walk away and tell an (adult),” he stated.

Melissa, who is president of the student council, highlighted the practical aspects displayed on power point and demonstrated through role play. She stated that generally, the students were committed to work with teachers and Operation Future members to protect the school environment.

Principal Terrence Edwards told SKNIS that Operation Future has had a productive relationship with the school and that while there are not many reports of bullying it was important to tackle the issue. The head teacher also “fully endorsed” Operation Future’s School Crime Watch initiative which recruits students to become crime watch officers responsible for looking after their peers and their school. They do this by reporting suspicious and bad behaviour to teachers.

According to its official website, Operation Future was founded in February 2005 and is designed to educate children about the dangers of crime, violence, drugs and other antisocial vices. Constable Percival revealed plans to enhance the reach of the message.

“One of the things we want to do is get this presentation videotaped and (upload) it to YouTube and other social media networks so that persons around the world can view it and educate themselves and others about bullying.” he disclosed.

Constable Percival noted that he and other members will be available to make similar presentations to other schools and to camps over the summer and urged persons to contact the group to make arrangements. Contact information and other details are available at www.sknoperationfuture.com/.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Police Fight Cyber Crime
2. St. Kitts – Nevis Government Takes Aim At School Violence
3. Canadian Police To Help Fight Crime in St. Kitts – Nevis
4. Operation Future To Go To Nevis
5. Nevis Primary School Appreciates Donation From US School

US Donates Pickup Truck To Fight Drug War

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 12, 2012 (CUOPM)

St. Kitts and Nevis is expected to benefit from the announcement of an injection of $US77 million into the Caribbean next year to develop projects to fight crime and violence.

The funds will be disbursed through the security partnership between CARICOM states, the Dominican Republic and the US called the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) that was launched last year.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central America and the Caribbean, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the United States Department of State, Julissa Reynoso, said the 2012 budget would be used in part to support greater coordination and control of border and maritime routes, training and capacity building for law enforcement and justice sector.

She told a CBSI Commission meeting here that her country would be delivering high-speed interdiction boats and relevant equipment to the Eastern Caribbean as part of the US Secure Seas Effort to complement those already provided to the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Guyana and Suriname will also receive riverine patrol boats and related equipment in 2012.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of the past year under the CBSI,” she said while noting concerns that the CBSI partnership had not made the impact that it should have.

“We have encountered many challenges but we believe that the CBSI provides a useful and necessary framework for coordination and collaboration with our partners in the region.”

The US representative said automated fingerprint identification system equipment were being purchased for six states, and, in accordance with a CBSI agreement, a regional legal advisor will develop a task force to address critical crime issues including homicides and to advise on legal reforms.

During the opening ceremony for the CBSI, Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee called for “practical well-thought out solutions” to relieve the strain on Caribbean populations by eliminating the causes of crime at the local, regional and hemispheric levels.

He acknowledged that progress has been made through the partnership but added that “much more work needed to be done,” to ensure that the peoples of both regions could feel secure.

He said the Commission needed to roll-out strategies and programs to address the growing problem of youth gangs and gang violence among other issues.

“There is urgent need to get to the stage to implementation so that the fruits of the partnership can trickle down to the benefit of the Caribbean peoples…of importance is the urgent need to begin to rolling out programmes that go to the heart of countering trafficking in narcotics and firearms, which poses a major challenge in the national security of our respective countries,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

Related posts:

1. Crime Fighting Remains A Priority To St. Kitts – Nevis
2. St. Kitts – Nevis Still Fighting Crime Surge
3. USA Joins Caribbean Nations In Fight Against Crime
4. St. Kitts – Nevis Public To Aid In Fighting High Crime Rate
5. Nevis Police Receive Crime Fighting Equipment

St. Kitts – Nevis’ New Police Pickup

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
March 28, 2012 (SKNIS)

On Monday, the St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force received a new tool to utilize in ongoing efforts to reduce crime, in particular, illegal narcotics.

Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section of the United States Embassy, Kurt van der Walde, presented Commissioner of Police Celvin G. Walwyn with keys to a new Nissan Navara to be used by members of the Drug Eradication Programme in the Nevis Division.

During a brief handover ceremony, Mr. Van der Walde noted that the donation symbolizes the concrete support of the United States Government to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and is in keeping with the objectives of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) – President Barack Obama’s signature project designed to deepen regional cooperation and combat the drug trade and other transnational crime.

“It is also our way of recognizing the great work that Chief Walwyn is doing in bringing modern policing techniques to the Eastern Caribbean and to improve citizen security for the folks here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” he stated. “We intend to offer a lot more support in the coming year. We hope to have an announcement very soon about that for significant new resources for all the ideas and projects and energies that Chief Walwyn is bringing to the force here.”

In response, Commissioner Walwyn thanked the U.S. Government for the donation and noted that the vehicle will make a positive contribution to the drug eradication programme.

“We need equipment, we have been given a car and I can guarantee you that this will be used for that purpose and we will do everything we can to (advance) the fight to retake our streets,” the police head stressed, noting that the effort extends from neighbourhoods to the hills.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Police Destroy A Million Dollars Worth of Illegal Drugs
2. Nevis Police Receive Crime Fighting Equipment
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Police Commissioner On Local Gangs
4. St. Kitts – Nevis Police Receive Donation
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Steps Up War On Illegal Drugs