Negril police unveil community resource centre
Published:Saturday | August 16, 2025 | 12:07 AMMickalia Kington/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
The Negril Police Station was buzzing with activity on Wednesday as the Negril Police Community Resource Centre was officially handed over to the Negril Youth Club and the wider community.
The new facility, built from a converted shipping container, is designed to be more than just a room with desks and computers. It’s intended to be a space for learning, mentorship and community bonding, especially as it is right in the heart of the police compound and the Negril community.
Senior Superintendent Othneil Dobson, commanding officer for the Westmoreland Police Division, started by commending those who helped make the project possible.
“Our carpenter, our trade man, all the police officers that have participated in this… and the persons that will volunteer to assist in training or teaching these persons, I want to say to you, thank you very much. Job well done,” he said.
Dobson stressed that while the police remain focused on fighting crime, prevention is equally important. “The more persons you can put away from crime, it’s best for us,” he said. “Let’s protect Negril. Let’s ensure that the lives of future students and children coming out of Negril will be positive in shaping this division for us.”
Speaking exclusively with The Gleaner, he added, “I look forward to seeing it fully utilised… to build the relationship with the parents and the communities and the police officers.”
Personal victory
For Inspector Coya Williams, Zone Four commander, the day was a personal victory.
“This is history in the making,” he said. “It started from a conversation… an idea. And now we are here, where that idea turned into reality.”
Williams recalled sharing the vision with his boss, Dobson, a year ago.
“He said, ‘Alright, you have my full support’,” he recalled. He thanked the Flow Foundation, local trades people, and the Negril Youth Club for staying committed. “A lot of good things are going on as long as we have the support of each other … unity, partnership (and) social bonding … the JCF is big on community relationship … We have a lot of community-based initiatives going on,” he said.
One of the sponsors, Bill Blauer of Blauer Nation, praised the collaborative effort.
“More and more the community is coming together to do amazing things like this to help the youth,” he said, sharing that they were also working on bringing more musical programmes to local schools including the possibility of developing a marching band.
For the young people of Negril, the centre already has clear value.
Anthonia Francis and her sister Anthonique Francis are members of the Negril Youth Club. Anthonique said she plans to use the centre wisely. “I’m planning to use it when I have school projects to do and reports and other kinds of stuff,” she says as she also adds that she will be heading into the seventh grade.
On the other hand, although her sister has already completed high school, she says that this resource centre was something she would’ve valued during her secondary stories, especially as she completes her school-based assessments (SBAs).
Meanwhile, another sponsor, Jon Liesenfield of the One Love Brigade, admitted the project was an emotional one.
“It takes a lot of people and a lot of locals to help put it together,” he told The Gleaner. “Days like today… makes it seem like it’s nothing, you know what I mean? But I’m really excited to see what this does for people.”
Addressing the crowd, Liesenfield shared how the idea was born. “A little over a year ago, Mr Williams … said, what if we were able to build a community centre out of the container? … We decided it was very important.” He thanked all the business owners and community members who came on board. “We feel very blessed and very, very lucky to be able to do this.”
‘Learning, safety, hope’
Guest speaker Dr Julie Hurley also helped framed the day as a transformation of both space and perception.
“We are right here in the Negril Police Station, a place that once may have felt intimidating … But now we’re transforming this spot … into a space of learning, safety, and hope,” she said.
She described the potential that the centre could hold and what it could mean for the children of Negril. “Imagine the power of a child walking into a police station … excited because I’m doing my math homework … taking a music lesson … Imagine that transformation, and that is happening here today.”
Drawing on research from her fellowship at Harvard Mason Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, Hurley stressed the importance of mentorship. “Children learn best when guided by adults who believe in them… . As long as they have one trusted mentor, they are more likely to stay in school, build resilience, and avoid risky behaviours.”
She praised the One Love Brigade’s “endless contributions” and saluted Williams for his leadership.
“You are about believing in everyone’s potential,” she told Williams.
The stakeholders made it clear that the centre isn’t just about the computers and books. Instead, it’s giving birth to a different outlook from the Negril youths who now have a reason to walk into a police station with hope instead of fear, and to leave with the tools to shape their own future.