We can make Hanover safe again - Beeput

WESTERN BUREAU:

After more than a year probing the various issues plaguing Hanover, Superintendent Sharon Beeput, the parish's commanding officer, has said she is confident she can spearhead the effort to make the parish safe again.

"Hanover is no safe haven for any criminals, and going forward in the Christmas season, we are going to put initiatives in place to impact the various communities as it relates to crime," said Beeput, who was speaking at Monday's launch of Police Week activities in the parish. "We are going to ensure that we have a lockdown strategy to keep them (the criminals) on their toes."

In asking for the continued support of law-abiding citizens, Beeput said the aim is to ensure that the parish's overall crime figures for 2018 is lower than in 2017, which was quite a challenging year.

"We want to ensure that at the end of this year, we have a reduction in crime," said Beeput, who remains quite resolute despite operating with limited human resources. "Since I have been here, the support for the police has been tremendous, and it is evident that there is renewed confidence in us."

Buoyed by the success she has had, especially in regard to crippling the two main criminal gangs in the parish, Beeput is urging law-abiding citizens to continue to throw their support behind the police's effort to bring peace to the parish.

"l want all well-thinking Hanoverians to join in the fight to push out these unscrupulous persons out of the parish," said Beeput. "Do not harbour any criminal, push them out. They are the ones causing most of the problems."

Beeput said she is confident that the range of activities planned for Police Week will be successful.

"The activities we have planned include the selection of a youth commander for the week," said Beeput. "We have selected Latanya Johnson, a student of Green Island High School and a member of the Beulah Land Police Youth Club. Other activities include visits by the police to three schools, the staging of a youth forum at the Knockalva Technical High School, and a community cookout, dubbed 'JCF run a boat,' which will take place on the grounds of the Kingsvale Police Station. We are inviting community members and the general public to come out to these events and interact with the police because we need to work together to create safe communities," added Beeput.