After last week’s 3rd Biennial National Development Conference, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Pastor Elliot (Ellis) Harrigan and speaking about an exciting youth initiative he has started in Anguilla under his ministry called ManFocus. In response to all the crime in Anguilla and its relation with youth spawned the Youth Crime Watch chapter of Anguilla.

Youth Crime Watch offers young people an active role in reducing crime in their schools and neighbourhoods. They own and run their Watch programme, with support from adults. Youth Crime Watch challenges youth to reduce drugs, violence, and crime, and it helps youth and adults recognize that youth can and must be part of civic problem-solving, community partnership development, and crime prevention. This programme can be found in 25 states in the USA and all around the world from Sao Paulo, Brazil to even Guam. It started in Miami after the community was outraged about the sexual assault of a 12 year old girl on Halloween and now encompasses 1,000 active sites involving tens of thousands of youth.
There are nine components: Crime reporting and communication; youth patrols; crime, drug, and violence prevention education; bus safety; mentoring; conflict resolution; mediation; peer and cross-age teaching; action projects addressing specific school or community needs.
YCW Anguilla is administered by ManFocus. More information on Pastor Harrigan’s ministry can be found at www.manfocus.org. YCW Anguilla however is supported by various stakeholders such as the Anguilla Social Security Board, National Bank of Anguilla, the Education Department and the Department of Youth and Culture. They actually have their own office in the Social Security Complex and is headed by its youth president, Krystie Webster. Pastor Harrigan was quite impressed with Ms. Webster’s speech at the Youth Crime Watch International Conference in Denver, Colorado, in which the Anguillian delegation won the best speech contest. Pastor Harrigan recalled how magnificent and instrumental Maglan Richardson of the Social Security Board was in getting the children to Colorado on such short notice.

I have included an excerpt of the prize winning speech by Krystie Webster:
“Unfortunately, the civility, manners and respect that once defined Anguilla seem to have been eroded by changing times and priorities. At present most crimes are committed by persons between the age ranges of 15-25. Within our schools our problems have escalated to fighting with weapons, lack of respect for teachers and peers and the use of Cannabis sativa and alcohol by some students. Today, crimes are rather brazen and they seem to get worse every year. Within the past few years the jail population has increased significantly, sadly enough many young persons dominate the jail population. Some of the offences committed ranged from assault, pilfering, possession and sale of narcotics, possession and unlawful use of firearms and murder. Though many persons seem to be headed down the wrong path, many youth groups are employing various strategies to do positive things for the lives of young people and for their communities.
“One such group is the Youth Crime Watch of Anguilla. Though we are young we are not naive to the hard work that success requires and the variety of strategies needed to combat present behavioural problems.
“Like all young persons we have a plethora of ideas to help our young people achieve their potential and help others in the process. One of our immediate plans is to create an art mural in our high school. However we are involving all students who want to help. It is our contention that if students are involved in creating something then most likely they will not abuse it. This project also encompasses a second stage. Realizing the behaviour of our youth is also psychological, we are employing some advertising techniques. Inspirational messages will be inscribed in every classroom through out the school. Subliminally, we hope to remind students that they are capable of doing many wonderful things and they should be determined to be somebody and to help somebody else.”

ManFocus is a faith-based organization seeking to reconstruct the lives of disadvantaged and disenfranchised males, provide alternatives for youth at risk, helping them make better choices, and to resist crime and violence. It also educates the public with respect to the plight of criminalized males and advocate for change in systems and structures that oppress and restrict the upward movement of all disadvantaged males. Pastor Harrigan began the YCW endeavour in Anguilla under ManFocus and has already elicited the help of adults in the community. YCW Anguilla will be headed by Pastor Phillip Gumbs. The other principal persons on the team are: Cynthia Gumbs, Michelle Roberts, Carmen Saunders, Carlyle Franklin, Rosanna Browne, Reggie Oliver and Melinda Goddard. Anguilla’s chapter even has its own web page which can be found at www.ycwa.org/anguilla and I encourage all to visit the page as there are numerous photos and pertinent information. I wish the youth leaders the best of luck and fully support this crime-fighting endeavour.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News