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On ACP Novlette Grant – UWI’s Concern

Dear Editor,

The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus is dismayed by the statements about the instititution attributed to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Novlette Grant.

If the statements were in fact made by Assistant Commissioner Grant, then the UWI is deeply concerned that a high ranking officer in the police force would make such wide-ranging generalizations about the institution without providing any facts whatsoever to support her claims.

The University community is a microcosm of the wider society and therefore it would not be unexpected that some of the security problems affecting the community would also influence events on the campus.

However, while security concerns have been raised from time to time, there is absolutely no truth to the statement that the campus is ‘dangerous for young decent males and females from good homes’.

The UWI also rejects the notion that ‘sexual predators and rapists roam the campus’. Over the years, and in response to the wider security problems in the society, the UWI has introduced a range of measures aimed at ensuring the safety of members of the campus community.

These include the maintenance of a security post staffed by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and a private security provider who conduct patrols and surveillance exercises on the campus on a 24-hour basis.

The Campus covers some 650 acres, has a resident population of over 3,000 persons and on any given day is host to nearly 18,000 staff, students and members of the public.

Despite this traffic, figures supplied by our security providers indicate that in the past five years there has been one reported case of rape. Further we have had no reports of any cases from the University Health Centre, which houses a Counselling Unit.

Surely if there were these predators roaming the campus, the victims would have surfaced somewhere and in some form. Nothing in our records indicates this.

There have been incidents of petty robberies, usually increasing at the beginning of each semester and involving the theft of cell phones. There was a problem with car thefts up to the year 2001, but with the introduction of more aggressive measures to monitor cars on the campus, the average has been reduced significantly.

As to personal injuries suffered by students on the campus, the last time a student was injured during a criminal act was in 2001 during a robbery in which the student struggled with the robber and received injury to his foot. None of this suggests a security situation that is out of control in the way that the Assistant Commissioner suggests.

The UWI also rejects the charge that there is ‘corruption’ in the selection of students to live on the halls of residence.

There are established criteria for placement on a hall of residence with preference normally given to new students, students from outside and rural Jamaica, members of the Guild Council, students who have never lived on hall and those who have contributed outstandingly to the Hall and/or the University.

There are many and varied reasons which might result in a student not obtaining a room on hall, none of which could be ascribed to ‘corruption’.

The UWI has graduated over 60,000 persons in its more than 50 years of operation, the majority of whom have benefitted from their experiences at the institution and have gone on to make meaningful contributions locally, regionally and internationally.

Based on what they learn here, we expect our graduates to be trailblazers in finding solutions to the myriad number of problems that face us as a people rather than resorting to generalized comments that are not truly reflective of our institutions nor supported by the facts.

Sincerely,

Carroll Edwards (Mrs)

Public Relations Officer

The Editor

I write in response to Erica Virtue’s Observer News article on Tuesday, November 17 featuring the life of Assistant Commissioner of Police Novlette Grant.

I was moved by ACP Grant’s story which reflected a life filled with extraordinary strength, focus, motivation and commitment; a truly dynamic Jamaican Woman. I was also inspired by her exemplary leadership qualities and many notable accomplishments serving the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaican people. She is a distinguished police officer.

One whom the National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips can be well pleased to have on his team of our nation’s bravest, as they stand together on the front line in our nation’s battle against crime.

I will however take the unusual step of challenging one of the nation’s top cops in regards to her very harsh comments about the University of the West Indies.

I respectfully disagree with ACP Grant’s comments that the UWI campus is filled with sexual predators and that the students who are supposed to be our future leaders shockingly displays juvenile and irresponsible behaviour.

During my five years tenure at the University, which culminated on June 2004, I can personally testify to a demonstration of awareness, maturity and patriotism towards our country by the UWI student population.

There was a definitive pride seen in the eyes of the students to be apart of our nation’s finest institution, a great symbol of national pride and an institution that can significantly impact policy creation and aid in the development of our country.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) is a dynamic, international institution which continues to do great service for the people of the entire Commonwealth Caribbean; an institution that both ACP Grant and I can be proud to call our alma mater.

Sean Thomas

New Jersey

USA

On Endometriosis

Am very much interested in how this can be managed. I experience severe pain and on heavy pain medication.

Sharon

On Jamaican doctor fighting aids in Nigeria

The feature article on the 18th of October, that appeared in the all woman magazine titled ‘Jamaican doctor fighting AIDS in Nigeria’ was good because it detailed my activities in Nigeria, but I fear that it could have given an impression that I only focussed on the AIDS epidemic.

However, during the interview, other topics that focussed on the goodness of Nigerians and their culture came up – we spoke about the type of people, their warmness and the richness of the culture, the beauty of the women and their dress, but this was excluded.

I’m therefore writing this in the hope that my work in Nigeria is given a more balanced representation, as these people are very dear to me and I would not want to cause them pain.

Thank you and keep up the good work.

Dr Amina Marcia Russell

Knights in the Night

The usual tranquility of my rural community was shattered when Hurricane Ivan visited on September 10, 2004. My nerves were taut, as I was the only one at home with a blind, elderly, ailing father who is now incapacitated, because of a recent leg amputation.

The place was dark, and an eerie feeling permeated as the howling wind and angry raindrops hammered to a crescendo.

“What’s making that sound?” Daddy queried.

“It’s the sound of the wind on the roof,” I responded.

At minutes after midnight other voices could be heard. They were the voices of young men calling, ‘Miss Bailey’. I was reluctant to answer as I wondered, ‘Could they have sinister motives?

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s me, Dyron,” a young man replied. “My friends and I are passing and we realise that you have lost sheets of zinc. Let us help you.”

These young men were not only brave and selfless but also creative. In a matter of minutes, they transformed chicken feed bags into sand bags. These were placed on the roof to prevent further loss of zinc sheets. They replaced the missing sheets of zinc. This was done in the pouring rain.

After their gallant effort I mused, “The days of Good Samaritans aren’t over.”

I would like to thank the all woman for providing me with the opportunity to publicly thank my Knights In The Night: Dyron Johnson, Stephen Burrell, Rascie Ayton, Neil Ayton and Yellow Currie, all of Blackwoods District, Clarendon. They risked their lives to help a lone female caring for an ailing, elderly father.

Doreen D Bailey

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