Students, teachers, principals, janitors, school security guards, school wardens, school administrators, parents, guardians — I bring you warm greetings on behalf of the Royal Grenada Police Force.
As we approach the start of the 2016–2017 School Year, the Royal Grenada Police Force looks forward to continued collaboration and partnership with each of you, as we work together to transform the lives of our nation’s children in a way that would enable them to become productive and law-abiding citizens.
The Royal Grenada Police Force wishes each of you a productive school year and urges you to take advantage of all the different opportunities that will give you that great advantage or leverage in life. Let the Latin phrase, Nil Satis Nisi Optimum — nothing but the best is good enough — hold true for you and fuel your drive to academic excellence.
Students, we implore you to effectively communicate with your teachers, principals and your coaches. This also means asking questions when in doubt.
Equally important is the revision of your school work, ensuring your homework is done in a timely manner, paying attention in class, being mindful of negative influences and antisocial behaviors and developing a passion for reading. Above all, stay focused.
The Royal Grenada Police Force has always placed great value on education as a vehicle for positive social change. We remain committed to your well-being, whether it is on the streets, at school or home. We are cognizant of the challenges that presently exist in our communities that can compromise your educational journey — negative peer pressure, delinquent and anti-social behaviors, loitering, bullying, illegal drugs, truancy — and will continue to work with you and the various stakeholders, such as the Ministries of Education and Social Development, Child Protection Authority and Drug Control Secretariat in addressing these challenges.
To the parents and guardians, we urge you to remember your responsibility to care for, protect and provide for your children and to be good role models. We appeal to you to practice parental control and supervision in your children’s use and engagement with social media and electronic mobile devices. Impress upon them the dangers and pitfalls that relate to their inappropriate use.
We encourage you also to be good stakeholders and good partners with your schools. PTA meetings are an important component of your child’s educational life; so please, make every effort to attend and keep abreast of your child’s performance in school.
Help your children to develop effective conflict resolution skills.
Spirituality has always been the moral compass of our society. Encourage and impart to your children the values of spirituality and morality, irrespective of your religious affiliations.
Know who their friends are, and, above all, be their friend of all friends.
The safety of our school children concerns each one of us. The RGPF is appealing to all drivers and the motoring public to play their part in ensuring that our nation’s children get to and from school safely. We petition our drivers to obey the laws and rules of the road so as to avoid incidences that can put our children’s lives at risk. (Drinking and driving, use of electronic devices, drivers collecting fares while driving, et cetera, are distractions that take away immensely from road safety).
We urge all citizens to report any illegal or suspicious activities that pose a threat to the well-being of our children. Remember too, “it’s okay to tell”.
Similarly, we remind all teachers and duty bearers of their obligation to report acts of abuse and other forms of behaviors that compromise the well-being of our children.
To our senior citizens, we encourage you to impart strong morals and values that have helped our nation’s children to overcome dangers and difficulties over the years.
To our religious leaders and faith-based organizations, continue to implore upon our nation’s children the Christian values that our country was founded upon and which are so duly expressed in the affirmation of the Grenada Constitution Order 1973.
To the media, we value your partnership and continued support tremendously.
On behalf of the RGPF, I take this opportunity to commend the teachers and our students for their hard work and cooperation this past school year, and I congratulate all those who have been successful in their examinations — CPEA, CXC, GCE, CAPE and others.
To those of you who have left behind the doors of the secondary and college institutions, I trust that you will make the best of the opportunities that exist so as to enable yourselves to become fulfilled and contributing members of our society.
Let me also thank all our citizens for your continued support.
The Royal Grenada Police Force shares in the excitement of all our students, and looks forward to this new school year with renewed vigor, as we continue to serve and protect.
We remain open for conversation and the continued engagements of all. Speak to us at the Community Relations Department at 440 3764, police hotline at 444 1958 or any of our police stations or departments.
We pray for God’s continued guidance and protection over our Nation.
Best wishes to all for a productive and successful school year.
Winston James
Acting Commissioner of Police
Royal Grenada Police Force
