KINGSTON, Jamaica —

The Ministry of National Security says that it handed over a 2018 Toyota Hilux pick-up to the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) on Wednesday, October 31 at the agency’s headquarters in Up-Park-Camp in Kingston.

Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, who made the presentation, said the vehicle is a part of the ministry’s efforts to assist in the expansion of the JCCF.

“The ministry is committed to supporting organisations like the JCCF that provide a safe space for youth to contribute to society in a productive manner while becoming better citizens,” Dr Chang said.

He added that the early engagement of youth is critical to fulfilling the ministry’s crime prevention objective and noted that the cadet force is one of the best suited organisations to spearhead this process.

“We must reduce the value of being in gangs and participating in gang-related activities. We are losing too much of our young males to crime. The expansion of the JCCF will help to stem these violent trends among youth.”

Chang stated that the JCCF capacity-building is a means of getting more unattached youth into the cadet programme, and endorsed the expansion of the Cadet Corps in secondary schools.

“Intervention aimed at changing behaviour must be preventative rather than reactive. We must promote positive conduct, which can be achieved through cadet training, before disruptive practices take root,” he said, adding that his ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Education Youth and Information to increase the number of cadet units islandwide within secondary schools.