Make wise choices

Youths across Barbados are being reminded that for every action there is a consequence.

 

This comes from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Welch, who believes that “choosing from now what direction your life will take, will affect you in the future.”

 

Addressing the 2016 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programme graduation for St Ambrose, St. Mary’s and Westbury Primary Schools, he expressed that children face many challenges in society today.

 

“There are many obstacles that they must face in their everyday lives, but one of the most challenging is the use of drugs,” he noted, also pointing out that it is a problem in many communities throughout the world.

 

“To help solve one of our most plaguing problems we must become educated to the associated dangers and consequences… For our children’s sake we must ensure that we create a society that is free from the scourge and harm of criminality.”

 

ASP Welch, Public Relation Officer for the Royal Barbados Police Force took the opportunity to congratulate the 137 graduates of DARE, as well as facilitator – Station Sargeant (Ag) Sgt. Roland Cobbler – on another successful year.

 

He said, that as part of DARE’s mission to equip children with the tools avoid negatives influences, the programme also seeks to establish positive relationships between youth and law enforcement. This crucial link, he observed, is a key component to changing the mind-set that police officers are not the bad guys.

 

“The program gives a one-on-one with the police, building a relationship with students from a young age to ensure that they know that police can be trusted.”

 

“We must resist the invasive culture of “informer”. Those who coin that phrase in their mouthing do so deliberately… Police solve crime through the cooperation of civic minded citizens. 

 

“We need your help,” he stressed to those gathered at District “A”, Prince Cave Hall. “When the police interact with these young minds, we tackle illegal violence like bullying and drug use directly… DARE’s curriculum faces the reality instead of denying or ignoring an increasingly large number of youth drinking, drug and violence problems”. (TL)