And while crime interdiction can hardly stop a murder on a deserted street on Monday morning at 3:00, police are hoping intervention can make that difference. And a rejuvenated Conscious Youth Development Programme is working to do just that. The CYDP has been dormant for about a decade, but as part of the new political mandate, it’s made a comeback. The Ministry of National Security has appointed Superintendent of Police Edward Broaster to work as director of the Conscious Youth Development Programme.
It’s only just getting started, but late last week CYDP met with its first target groups: young men from the north side neighbourhoods of Victoria Street, Pinks Alley and Kelly Street where gunplay between rival sets had become an everyday occurrence following the Christino Madrill murder. Broaster told us that close to thirty young men attended the first meeting.
Supt. Edward Broaster, Director - CYDP
“We had about 27 young people where we sat them down and had them shout it out instead of shooting it out and I believe that meeting went well. They realize that what is happening is the fact that it is pure gossip going on, in this particular case. So they came to realize, in fact we are arranging to have a football game between the three groups.
With respect to conflict resolution and mediation, anger management it had worked well for us. We believe that engaging these groups we will resolve most of the shootings that are occurring over petty conflicts in the streets of Belize City.
We have a lot of young people who are genuinely looking for an outlet and hopefully the CYDP will provide that outlet in terms of conflict resolution, anger management, and gang mediation.
Especially a new program that we developed called the outdoor challenge where we will be organizing young people from different groups and taking them out on a challenge in the wilderness to work together and depend on each other in order to get through that challenge.
It is geared specifically at the target group and we believe that by engaging them and taking them through the necessary changes and training that we will be able to make a difference.”
CYDP will offer conflict mediation, counselling, skills training, and job opportunities.
