In an effort to curb the high incidence of violence at the community level, the Ministry of Public Security in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched the first component of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) yesterday in South Ruimveldt.
According to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, some US$3 million will be expended on this component of the programme to provide technical and vocational education and training to approximately 4,000 at-risk youth over the next four years.
This first component, the minister said, is a grassroots programme designed to address crime and violence at the community level by reducing the contributing factors while at the same time strengthening the protective factors.
Ramjattan noted that the crime problem in Guyana is compounded by a high incidence of violent behaviour at the community level. “We just recently learnt of the 13-year-old who was involved in a violent attack which ended in his death and weeks prior another youth killing three persons in the company of his father at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder,” he said.