With an aim to return August Town in St Andrew to the status of zero murders for an entire year, which it achieved in 2016, and also to maintain overall peace in the community, 20 volunteers of the police’s supervised curfew monitors project were commissioned yesterday to function as role models for the residents, especially the children.

The project, funded by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), is a multi-stakeholder initiative which includes the police, community members and church groups.

Curfew monitors are trained in several areas, including customer service, child care and protection, effective parenting, leadership, dispute resolution, and mediation.

One of the key issues which triggered the project was the idleness of the children who were not attending classes online. Many of them were also staying out late at nights, even during lockdown and curfews.

The project is part of a wider strategy of Government to promote safety and security in the community, which is under a zone of special operations (ZOSO). The 20 monitors were selected from five communities in August Town who interact effectively with children and their parents.

Assistant commissioner of police in charge of the Community Safety and Security Branch Ealan Powell praised JSIF for funding the programme and implored the volunteers to lead by example as they and other stakeholders work together to rid the community of crime and violence.

“I implore monitors to be fearless and to take this challenge seriously. You must remember that you are role models in your community and you cannot just talk. You have to do the action and it must be demonstrated to others that you are a part of change.

“If you came on this course for the four days that you have been here and when you go back to the community there is no difference in your approach, you are failing. You can’t be telling people’s children to come off the streets when your children are on the streets. Be fair, fearless and ensure you remain focused. We don’t want these training sessions to be a waste of time,” said Powell.

“You have taken on the task to ensure that the children of August Town have a better future and that August Town becomes a better place, so I challenge you to carry out that task as best you can and, if any day you feel you can’t manage anymore, then give it up,” he added.

Fayval Williams, Member of Parliament for St Andrew Eastern, where August Town is located, endorsed the programme yesterday.

The curfew monitor project is also being implemented in the communities of Greenwich Town and Denham Town in Kingston and St Andrew, Treadlight in Clarendon and Salt Spring, Anchovy, and Norwood in St James.