Forty-two participants in the Ministry of National Security’s Citizens Security Programme Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) recently graduated as the newest ambassadors of peace.
Geared to empower residents in high-risk communities in East Port-of-Spain, CPTED aims to help reverse emerging criminal-like trends and incidents of violence that might be associated with what has been described as an ugly societal feature.
With the help of consultancy firm Deloitte, officials of the Citizens Security Programme were able to partner with experts from the National Institute of Crime Prevention (NICP) from Florida in the United States with their background in community policing, anti-gang, anti-drug abuse initiatives, school safety and city planning.
Participants involved in this instalment of CPTED represented Gonzales, Quarry Street, John John, St Barb’s, Morvant, Nelson Street, Sea Lots and Belmont. The training included CPTED project design. They were tasked with designing and implementing initiatives for their communities which ranged from: refurbishment of community facilities, community traffic management, beautification, landscaping and public art projects.
The intent of the project was to underscore the need for citizens to take ownership of their spaces, widen community involvement while instilling pride.
Glenda Jennings-Smith, Parliamentary Secretary in the National Security ministry, said, “We as individuals, communities and a country must make significant changes in the way we approach the issues of crime and national security.
“Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design has become a major focus in the recent past as a viable means of crime prevention and curbing crime at the community level. Fixing what may be deemed the smaller issues in the community–things like missing lights, broken windows, erasing graffiti and establishing regular trash pick-up services–can prevent an escalation of bigger issues with that community environment.”
PHOTOS: SEAN NERO