TTPS QUARTERLY No.1 (1)

Donna Jennings-Toney
Co-ordinator CITY Programme
As at May 2016, in excess of 650 students from schools in the
North Eastern Educational District have benefitted from the
Caring Intervention for Troubled Youth (CITY) initiative, an
out-of-school suspension programme. In February 2012,
CITY began operations out of the Police Youth Club building
located at Brooklyn Settlement, Sangre Grande, for youth
both male and female within the age group 8 to 18.
In September of 2011, the concept of a suspension centre was
first raised by No. 5939 Sgt. Gerry Baptiste who was attached
to the Eastern Division Community Police Unit of the Trinidad
and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
Sgt. Baptiste was concerned about the number of
unsupervised, suspended students observed ‘liming’ on the
streets. Cognisant of the high probability of them becoming
involved in criminal activity, Sgt. Baptiste had a burning desire
to fill the “gap” between suspension from school and
resumption of classes. With the assistance of Principal of the
Manzanilla Secondary School, Mrs. Donna Jennings-Toney, a
series of meetings transformed the concept into a feasible
proposition - a partnership between the Ministry of Education
and the Community Police Unit. Through this collaboration,
Caring Intervention for Troubled Youth (CITY) was borne.
Used as an anti-crime strategy, the CITY programme
embraces the vision and mission statement of the Police
Youth Club of the TTPS which states:
Mission Statement:
To educate and create awareness in our youth
towards their future all-round development.
Vision:
To encourage youth who are positive,
respectable, drug-free, independent and
productive.
Caring Intervention for Troubled Youth – Out of
School Suspension Programme has as its focus, the
following objectives:-
1. To provide educational and social opportunities
for positive youth development.
2. To support the all-round development of the
youth
3. To engage the youth in creative and uplifting
activities that can help to mitigate the
occurrence of violence and indiscipline.
4. To equip the youth with valuable life skills that
can enable them to experience a wholesome
life.
5. To instil values through character education
that can impact positively on self-esteem.
6. To build a cadre of resilient youth who can think
creatively and critically, set goals and solve
problems
7. To develop citizens who can epitomize the
national watchwords: discipline, tolerance,
production.
8. To inculcate in the youth peaceful approaches
to conflict resolution that can result in
harmonious living in a culturally diverse
community
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