The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

T&T armed Police in high risk schools....!!!!!

sgtdjones 9/9/25, 2:59:11 PM
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debut: 2/16/17
40,924 runs

Enough is enough! PM defends use of armed cops in schools

As armed police took up posts in high-risk schools yesterday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar vowed to tackle school violence, saying enough was enough and calling the initiative the beginning of the end for bullying and classroom violence.Her comments came hours after the Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro toured several high-risk schools and warned parents to keep their children in check or else they will be imprisoned.In a statement hours after school was dismissed, Persad-Bissessar lamented the fear students and teachers felt because of violence.“Our teachers have become victims of assault and abuse by some students and parents. That will not continue. Any student or parent who abuses or assaults a member of the teaching staff will be removed from school by the TTPS,” she said.She also highlighted the impact on students.“Too many students are bullied, robbed and beaten at schools. To some children, it is a terror to attend school. We have children failing because they are too afraid to attend school, as they are bullied every day. It’s a daily torture for them,” she said.

Following tours to the La Romaine Secondary, Ste Madeleine Secondary, Marabella North and Marabella South Secondary, San Fernando East Secondary, Gasparillo Secondary yesterday, CoP Guevarro also made it clear that parents must work with their children to curb delinquency.“If parents cannot control their children, the TTPS will confine them,” Guevarro warned.Saying officers in schools were specially trained and ready to respond to immediate threats, he said: “Well-behaved children have nothing to fear. It’s those errant ones who want to bring disruption to the system that will have to worry.”He said two officers have been assigned to each of the 50 designated high-risk schools. Guevarro explained that they will be stationed on compounds for the full school day, but will keep interactions with students minimal.

Meanwhile, a school safety officer who requested anonymity described just how severe the problem had become.“The fights were so bad they blocked traffic on the main road. Students came armed, and in one sweep, 13 penknives were seized,” the safety officer revealed.A parent, whose daughter was brutally beaten outside a school in Couva earlier this year, praised the initiative to have police in schools. She said her daughter was physically healed but the trauma was still evident.“She was scared to go to school today (yesterday) and she is trying to forget that incident, so I don’t want to retraumatise her by speaking of the incident,” the parent said.She noted that armed officers were necessary because of the threats that exist both inside and outside of the schools.
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sgtdjones 9/9/25, 3:01:53 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,924 runs

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What have you become, T&T?cry