Police-school relationships can keep crime down, says Troupe

WESTERN BUREAU:

Richard Troupe, the director of safety and security in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, says a sustained police presence in Jamaica’s schools is one way of getting young people to become law-abiding citizens and, in so doing, keep the nation’s crime rate low.

Speaking at last Friday’s official launch of the Spot Valley High School Police Youth Club in St James, Troupe urged Jamaicans to do their part in maintaining the country’s currently low crime rate, which saw 673 murders recorded in 2025, compared to 1,147 in 2024 and 1,406 in 2023.

“Last year, we celebrated a significant reduction in major crime, including murder. If it was not for our law-enforcement officers, we would not be celebrating this success. To all Jamaicans the big challenge is, do we have the capacity to sustain the reduction, and for the reduction to go even lower every single year?” asked Troupe.

“The launch of the Spot Valley High School Police Youth Club is an example of what is possible if we are serious about sustaining this reduction in major crime. It is not just a law-enforcement issue, and it is not just about having more police officers, greater mobility, improved technology, improved communication,” he said.” It is important as we celebrate this success, that within schools we recognise that we, too, have an awesome responsibility, and Spot Valley High School is an example of that.”

Speaking specifically to the school-based relationship between students and the police, Troupe said a connection with the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Community Safety and Security Branch can open various career and personal development opportunities for young people.

“Some schools still struggle with the presence of our law-enforcement officers in our schools, but we recognise how important school resource officers are to the transformation of our schools, for changing the mindset of our boys and girls. When we have school resource officers and the Community Safety and Security Branch working with our schools, we are building trust between young people and our law-enforcement officers, especially our boys,” he said.

“We are opening opportunities for them to see law-enforcement organisations as a career path to be pursued, not because they have struggled to find a job, but because they see the police force as a beacon of hope for them and their families,” he added.

In 2008, the education ministry said it was looking into increasing the contact hours that school resource officers have with students. The JCF currently has 292 school resource officers in its employ under the Safe Schools Programme, with 33 of those officers assigned to schools across St James up to September last year.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police Charmaine Shand, the commanding officer for the Community Safety and Security Branch Headquarters, called for parents to get more involved in reducing youth-centred crime, including among students.

“We need the parents now more than ever, because when you students are at school, the teachers take care of you, and when you are at home, you need your parents to be there to support you. As we officially launch this youth club today, let us all commit ourselves to creating opportunities for our youth, because when we invest in our young people, we invest in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Jamaica,” she said. 

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com

Related photo caption – Dg-School Police 1: 

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