NASSAU, The Bahamas --- The newly launched Urban Renewal Programme 2.0 is paying “some serious, serious dividends” for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leon Bethel, said Thursday.

“This is a refined approach to Community Policing and everyday we are witnessing the benefits of the Programme,” Mr. Bethel said. “While some civilians may not be able to see those results as yet, we are seeing them on the ground as Police Officers.

“A lot of things are happening and while some people don’t want to believe it, they will believe once we reveal the statistics.”

The Assistant Commissioner of Police responsible for Force Operations, Mr. Bethel said Police are combining Urban Renewal operations with other “Force Operations” to put a dent in crime and criminality, particularly violent crime.

“Everyday, we have ongoing operations from Urban Renewal working in combination with daily operations from some other sectors of the Force which have allowed those additional operations to go out and do some other things in order to settle down some people and bring them and/or others to justice,” Mr. Bethel added.

Addressing members of the clergy attending the first Village Keepers Seminar, Mr. Bethel said collaboration between the Church, the State (the Police and Urban Renewal representing the State in this instance), private sector and the community is critical to the war on crime and criminality.

He said the one-day Seminar was the continuance of such collaboration between the Police, Urban Renewal and Pastors/Ministers of churches operating in the Bain and Grant’s Town Community.

Its aim was to increase collaboration and exchange of information between the religious community in the area and the Project Team. It is anticipated that this will facilitate the development of a community Action Plan to prevent and reduce youth violence and crime within the community.

Topics addressed included Youth Violence in the Community, the Effects of the Drug Culture on Youth Violence; the Importance of Pastors and The Community As Gate Keepers and Violence Prevention, A Public Health Perspective, among others.

Guest Speakers included the Most Reverend Drexel Gomez; Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Hulan Hanna, School Psychologist, Dr. Novia Carter, Pastor Barrington Brennen of Living Faith Family Church, Mr. Harris Smith, Chief Welfare Officer, Her Majesty’s Prison and Inspector Crislyn Skippings, Public Affairs and Communications Officer, Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“This partnership we are trying to enforce is not a new one (as) we have been meeting with the Bahamas Christian Council and bringing them up to date on information from the Police perspective so that they can be aware of what is going on in the various communities,” Mr. Bethel said.

“Our objective is for the members of the clergy to then go back into the community armed with this information and try to touch some areas that we have pointed out to them, and some areas, they can assist the Police and the community in,” ACP Bethel added.