BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WHILE many residents are tempted to succumb to the pressures of the escalating murder rate and crime in general, members of the rapidly-growing Operation Future (OF) have resolved to intensify their proactive and preventative approach to crime fighting.
OF was launched in June 2006 by Constable Lauston Percival with the main objective of providing positively impactful leadership and influences for primary and high school students.
Percival, recognising the need for such influences, gathered a number of his colleagues and went from school to school spreading messages that speak to the positives of living clean and wholesome lives as well as the negatives of gang and related activities.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Officer Percival said when the programme was launched lawlessness in the Federation was not at the level to which it is now. Notwithstanding, he maintains that his programme is effective, but its full effects would not be felt for years to come.
“When we go to the schools, we talk to some of the children that are pinpointed by the teachers who live in the problem areas, who live with known persons who have this sort of violent or deviant behaviour, and who are known to have firearms. We sit with them on a one-on-one basis and see what information we could get from them and, sometimes, the information we get from them is passed on to the relevant department or authorities and they in turn will work and see what they could get out of it.”
Percival explained that the overwhelming response and feeling to the rapid rise in criminal activities are that of gloom and doom. He however claimed the positive is that children who are made aware of the situation are more-likely to stay on the straight and narrow path.
“Especially when we go to the school and speak to them about what is going on, we could see the concern on the children’s faces. Some of them, we can see the sadness on their faces. Some of them have family members who got shot at some point in time, and when we go and speak with them we really see it in their faces. They recognise that these are bad things happening to people and they would not want to go down that road.
“So, when we speak to them on issues like that we really get their attention, especially of late with these shootings that have been happening. So we see definitely that down the road there will be a change. Inspite of what is happening right now, I don’t think we will have similar problems down the road.”
The programme’s leader told this media house that the effects of the programme are already being seen, and although it is on a small scale he expects to reap the rewards in the upcoming years.
“It would not be a tomorrow thing. It’s more like down the road or in the future. That is why we decided to call the programme Operation Future because we are basically working on the young ones; the persons who will be taking over society. We are not saying it will be a tomorrow or next week change, because that will not happen.”
