THE Manchester Dispute Resolution and Violence Prevention Association (MDRVPA) has launched a farming initiative aimed at providing meaningful employment, which it hopes will lead to a reduction in the cases of domestic violence in the parish.

Figures provided by the Manchester Police Division indicate that in 2013 there were 2,000 cases of domestic issues reported in the parish.

The communities of Grey Ground, Albion, Pear Tree, Green Vale and George’s Valley have been selected to participate in the initiative, with two persons from each community receiving financial and resource oriented assistance to off-set their farming projects.

Speaking at the formal handing over ceremony last month, Senior Superintendent of Police Marlon Nesbeth disclosed that 80 of the 2,000 reported cases of domestic violence in the parish last year, were referred to the MDRVPA, while the police addressed the remainder.

“The Association dealt with the cases effectively and we have not had any major issues arising subsequently, so certainly the association is working,” he said. According to Nesbeth, in 2013 more than 40 per cent of major crimes were directly attributed to domestic issues, thus the emphasis on curbing the incidents.

— JIS