Children in need are being specially cared for through the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Shop With A Cop (SWAC) outreach initiative, says Custos of St Catherine, Icylin Golding.
The Custos, who participated in the annual event recently, said the children should learn from the activity, and Justices of the Peace (JPs), including herself, should support it in whatever way they could.
The initiative focuses on children and families in challenging circumstances and children who are victims of crime in hotspot communities within the St Catherine South Division (Municipality of Portmore, and Old Harbour).
It involves police officers acting as chaperones and companions of the children throughout a day as they shop for items in local stores.
During the event, which was started in December 2022 by the Community Safety and Security Unit (CSSU), led by Territorial Officer for the St Catherine South Division, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Paulett Baker, the children are given gift certificates or cash to purchase items of their choice, courtesy of the accompanying officers or through sponsorship from external stakeholders and individuals.
“It is such a good community effort, because of the joy you see in the faces of the children. I visited the police station and I saw them gathered with their parents. This adds to their confidence in the police and gives a different impression of what the police are doing. This is an awesome initiative. I am so proud of this initiative,” the Custos said.
“As we continue our journey of transformation and engagement, initiatives like these that St. Catherine South has embarked on, these are the types of initiatives that will bring us closer to our communities,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Karina Powell-Hood, at a recent ceremony for the programme, at the Greater Portmore Police Station in St Catherine.
She said the children would long remember the series of positive interactions with the police.
“We are sure that in the future, these young persons will continue to support the police, and who knows, we may have some future police officers among the team. So, this initiative is far more than us just doing a job. This is really a passion project,” DCP Powell-Hood said.
