Police Commissioner Francis Forbes presents Queen's High School student Deneshia Graham with her cheque during yesterday's presentation of scholarships to 28 gifted students across the island who need financial help to get through the upcoming school year. During the ceremony, Forbes announced that police officers will be posted at 60 schools across the island when classes get underway, as part of a thrust to curb violence in schools.

Armed police officers may be among a batch of specially trained cops who will be assigned to 60 schools across the island when the new school term begins next week, a move which the education and security ministries hope will help curb the violence that has become all too familiar in some of the island's educational institutions.

"Come Monday morning, more than 60 schools will have a police officer or two inside their gates," Police Commissioner Francis Forbes told reporters yesterday.

According to Supt Ionie Ramsay, head of the police's information arm, none of these school resource officers will be armed with high-powered weapons, but some may have sidearms.

"A few might be allowed to carry sidearms, depending on the area in which they operate," she told the Observer last night.

RAMSAY. a few might be allowed to carry sidearms

In 2003, violence in schools left three students dead while several other attacks on teachers and students left another 25 persons injured. A report released at the Jamaica Teachers' Association's annual conference last year also cited rape as a regular occurrence within the school system.

In addition, the Ministry of Health's Jamaica Injury Surveillance System report for the same year, showed that four per cent of injuries in the accident and emergency department of nine government hospitals across the island had occurred in schools.

It is statistics like those that have caused concern, with calls coming for the government to do a survey on school violence and find a way to stop the bloodshed.

Over the years, some schools have developed reputations for high levels of violence, but up to press time last night the police had not supplied the list of the schools where the lawmen would be posted. They promised to make the list available today.

According to one police source, Donald Quarrie High in eastern Kingston and Charlie Smith, located in the tough Arnett Gardens community in South St Andrew, are among the schools earmarked to get cops assigned to them.

In June, Forbes, National Security Minister Peter Phillips and Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson visited schools in Arnett Gardens in the aftermath of a report that letters were being sent to the schools, telling them to close their doors.

"We spoke to teachers and students and we told them that we would not be leaving them alone and we will be there for them," Forbes said yesterday.

Over the past three months, a batch of lawmen have been specially trained under the schools resource officer (SRO) programme - the brainchild of the constabulary's Corporate Strategy Unit which collaborated with stakeholders in the educational system.

"While schools were on holidays, some officers were being trained to deal with this initiative," Forbes said yesterday. They received training in how to interact with teachers, students and parents in a school environment.

The SROs are expected to reduce violence among students, the number of weapons in schools and to protect staff and students from outside attacks. They will work closely with the schools' Parent Teachers' Associations to offer mentoring, counselling, as well as provide help with mediation and problem solving.

Forbes officially announced the programme during yesterday's ceremony at his office to present 28 students with scholarships on behalf of the constabulary.

The grants, worth between $5,000 and $10,000, were awarded to students identified as gifted but in need of financial assistance. The selections were made by the force's Community Relations Division.

Students from the inner-city communities of Denham Town, Hannah Town, Southside and Tavares Gardens in the Corporate Area, as well as Norwood and Rosemount in St James, benefited from the scholarship programme.

The programme was sponsored by the Palisadoes Cooperative Credit Union and businessman Ferris Zaidie.
Parliamentary secretary in the national security ministry Kern Spencer encouraged the students to grab the opportunity with both hands.

"You are among the fortunate few who have been afforded scholarships, do not waste the opportunity," he said.

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