Police Officers Answer Call for Assistance - Request Backup
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Police Sergeant Adolph Adams
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Basseterre, St. Kitts (January 28, 2008): Four officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force are trying to make a difference in curbing antisocial behaviour by applying an old adage “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound cure.”
“Statistics show that most of the violent crimes are [committed] by adolescents so we decided to target these youngsters in order to reduce these incidents,” Sergeant Adolf Adams, said last week during an interview on SKNIS’ radio programme Perspectives.
Hence Adams, along with Constables Valentine Kelly, Denver Herbert and Ralph Arthurton formed the Police Boys Club, which educates young men between the ages of 8 to 16 on the dangers of drug abuse and joining a gang and how to resist peer pressure. Discipline and teamwork are also vital components of the club. The club leaders are also relying on camping, hiking, fishing, religious and sporting activities to provide positive experiences for the youth thus promoting behavioural change.
The Police Boys Club meets every Saturday at the Police Training Complex. Currently, there are 30 members in the club, a relatively large number considering the first session was held on January 12. The membership continues to grow as each person is encouraged to bring a friend to the next meeting. ~~Adz:Right~~
Sergeant Adams noted that the creation of the group, which recruits young men from around the island, has been praised by persons in the community, particularly parents. In fact, it was the overwhelming response from parents which prompted the expansion of the membership from Newtown to include youth from other areas such as Conaree and McKnight.
Relating to the growing numbers of young men from all walks of life can be daunting at times, but the Police Sergeant said he is able to find common ground with his students.
“I grew up rough,” he admitted, explaining that some of his early choices in life were not the best. “I am able to relate to the young men [because] I know what they are going through and I [draw] on my childhood experiences to help them.”
As a child Adolph Adams turned his life around in high school, realizing that there was a better way to succeed without inflicting pain and hardships on innocent persons, loved ones and society as a whole. He is hoping that he and his colleagues can now become a beacon for the younger generation by accentuating the positive.
Sergeant Adams, himself, is also looking for a sign. He explained that running the volunteer programme is costly and is seeking support from the populace. “We want this [Boys Club] to be a community initiative. We cannot do it on our own,” he stressed, noting that he and the other officers sometime make personal sacrifices to provide snacks for the weekly meetings.
He issued an appeal for persons wishing to volunteer leadership, teaching or counseling skills as well as for companies interested in supporting the venture to contact him at 665-4830.
