MONTEGO BAY, St James – DEVON Watkiss, a senior superintendent of police assigned to the St James last week implored the youths of the parish to channel their energies into creative and legal ventures.

While admitting there was a serious problem of violence and fraud among the youths of the parish, SSP Watkiss urged members of the football fraternity to help make a change.

Watkiss, who was the guest speaker at Thursday’s awards ceremony for the St James Football Association’s Claro Senior League and Division One competitions, noted that there was a “big problem” in the parish.

“We have a problem in the west, a big problem. The youths are setting up on themselves and shooting one another,” he said.

The youth, he argued, represented a “statistic of concern” adding that, “I would hate to know that any of you here will become a statistic”. There were conflicts in some communities he said, which led to “a frequency in murders and shooting”.

Watkiss, who spoke at length about the rich legacy of western football at both the club and schoolboys levels, also mentioned the prevalence of the lotto scam in the parish and warned the players that while there would be “some capital upfront…it leaves tears,” and urged those who were involved to expend this energy into things that are more fruitful”.

Those who knew of others involved should make an effort to help them get into more legitimate endeavours, he urged.