Acting Police Commissioner Says Criminals Prey on Children from Broken Homes

Acting Commissioner of Police (ACP), Novelette Grant, says there is a cycle of violence, where abused children and those from broken homes are being lured into nefarious activities by preying criminals.

ACP Grant, who was speaking at a community forum on violence, at the Sandals Royal, Montego Bay, on March 22, added that she is also saddened by the violence that continues to be perpetrated against women, noting that this too is having its effect on children, notably young boys.

“One of the unfortunate things from this cycle of violence is the effect it is having on our young children. What we are seeing is that the abused woman will then turn around and abuse the innocent children. This is something which has been happening too frequently,” she said.

The ACP further noted that it is becoming the norm to walk into any police station where a mother, with her young children in tow, will be seen making a report about violence at home.

“These young boys and girls are generally between the ages of 13 and 15 and the experiences that they are having are not wholesome. Neither is it nurturing, as it continues to fuel the general violence. When you have our young boys not being raised in a nurturing environment, then they become almost fodder for the gangs out there seeking to draw them into violence,” Ms. Grant said.

ACP Grant noted that in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), one of the things that the police are doing is having sessions with youth leaders in schools, so as to get a better grasp of some of the issues facing young people.

“Some of our senior officers have been going back to their alma maters, and some of the things that are being revealed to them by boys are the pressure and the coercion that they experience to join gangs. These are issues that the country cannot continue to ignore,” the ACP said.