Westmoreland Community Benefit Under Citizens Security and Justice Programme

Russia in Westmoreland is the latest community to benefit from the social intervention services offered under the Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP).
The initiative was launched in the community on Sunday (Jan. 13), with CSJP partnering with other government and non-government agencies in the effort. The day was a success, with a large number of residents and persons from other communities in attendance.
Activities included an information fair, where citizens were sensitized on how to build stronger and safer communities. More than $300,000 in back-to-school assistance was also distributed to some 280 children on the day.
Programme Manager for the CSJP, Simeon Robinson, told JIS News that the launch in Russia is in keeping with the move to extend the programme in communities in Western Jamaica.
Noting that communities usually request the services they want under the programme, he indicated that residents of Russia have asked for parenting workshops, the upgrading of public sanitary facilities, as well as other infrastructural development.
“They have strongly requested that their sporting facilities be upgraded and some work has commenced on that already. They have also strongly indicated that they want to be involved in some skills programme and we are now gearing up to deliver those,” Mr. Robinson said.
Launched in 2001, CSJP is one of the mechanisms through which the Government of Jamaica intends to address some of the grave social ills being experienced by some residents in inner city communities, by implementing programmes to assist in the reduction of crime and violence generally and continued improvement in the delivery of services by the judicial system.
CSJP, which is an initiative of the Ministry of National Security, has been delivering a range of violence prevention services in the 15 communities in Kingston and St. Andrew and 10 communities in St. James, in which it exists.
These include education and mentoring programmes, conflict resolution training, life skills and parenting education.