Law-enforcement team to host clinic at Boys' Town

Marie-Liese George, Gleaner Writer

A group of law-enforcement officers from the Toronto Police Services are today expected to invade the Boys' Town playing field.

The incursion is not for any operational exercise, but with a view to arrest some young minds and engage them in a specially organised football clinic.

The group, which also comprises students, sports executives and university administrators, will be staging a series of football clinics and discuss lifestyle skills - a gesture which they hope will attract a number of children from inner-city communities.

This initiative, which is known as 'For Kicks', marks the second time that it is being implemented in Jamaica. The first was in 2008.

Sergeant Steve Hicks, of the Community Relations Department at the Toronto Police Services, will be in charge of the initiative in Jamaica.

TEAM MEMBERS

The team includes Toronto Azzurri soccer executives, a former National Hockey League executive, students and officials from Durham College, as well as players from boys' and girls' high school teams and their parents.

The 'For Kicks' team will work in collaboration with the Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), which runs a similar programme called 'Goals For Life', to have greater and further reaching impact.

An aim of the programme is to help the youths develop personal life skills, using examples from football to carry across the message.

There will be clinics with youth from 16 of the CSJP inner-city communities.

As part of the initiative, the Canadian visitors have made a commitment to donate hundreds of sporting items for football and hockey, as well as backpacks, and books for educational purposes.