Anti Gang Initiative Underway Today
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 @ 3:54 AM
Prince George, B.C.- It’s all about connecting kids with organizations that will keep them busy, involved and away from the lure of gangs.
It’s called “Kid Conn-2012” and it’s an anti gang event developed by Prince George Community Policing.
Grade 6 and 7 students attending Harwin Elementary, Ron Brent Elementary, Quinson Elementary and the Aboriginal Chice School will have an opportunity to connect with several organizations that offer activities that keep young folk busy during free time.
Army Cadets, Sea Cade4ts, the RCMP, PG Fire Department, the PG Public Library, the Lego Club, Girl Guides, Scouts Canada, the YMCA and UNBC will each have a “station “ set up at the Northern Sport Centre.
Students will spend about 20 minutes at each “station” and have some hands on activities that will encourage positive interaction . Those activities include racing against the radar to see how fast you can run, games of floor hockey , and flinging soccer balls with the help of a trebuchet ( photo of one version of the medieval weapon at right).
“It’s going to be a blast” says Special Constable Davy Greenleees of Community Policing.
This is the first time this initiative has been offered.
The real challenge is to have activities which can be offered free of charge, or through special compensation for these inner city youth who often face financial challenges. Greenlees admits there is no point in offering these positive alternatives if the kids can’t afford to join up or take part “There’s the rub” says Greenlees “So, what we’ve done is produced a coupon book that we will take to the classrooms of these schools after this event. The coupons will allow the kids ‘free’ access to the organizations, most of which are free anyway, but will allow them access.”
Greenlees says he will know if today’s session has been a success by the number of coupons that are turned in to the various organizations “I’m hoping there will be a whole lot of coupons turned in.”
The day is being sponsored by funding provided through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Civil Forfeiture and Crime Remediation Grant, tRST Project.
Comments
Are they going to include photos of dead gangsters showing their brains blown out and have face to face visits with the customers up at the Hilton on the hill?
They should!
“I’m not gonna join your gang”. “I’m gonna build a toy”. Good logic, eh? Hope they don’t “fling” soccer balls filled with drugs over the fence up at the Hilton with their new “toy”. Could happen.
I know what somebody’s gonna say “already done that but we used a slingshot!”
Just hope the kids learn.
Great idea! Giving youth opportunities to gain positive role models and access to good programs to build self-esteem. This decreases them from being so vulnerable to gang recruitment because they are not needs acceptance and power. They are self empowered!
Need transportation to make this work. Most lower income families do not have cars. Bridge this barrier and they really got a good start on preventing youth from becoming linked with gangs!
Good try but this is what we pay the police for and elect politicians for they have to make laws that are a deturent to crime. If a criminal gets to walk on a conviction the police would certainly loose interest in making an arrest.
Well, I’m glad to see this initiative, but they need something ongoing into high-school right until graduation.
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