New Sports program launched in partnership with Royal TCI Police

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 17, 2022 – A new sports program has been launched for youth in the Turks and Caicos, PAL or the Police Action League is a partnership between The Turks and Caicos Islands Sports commission the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, and the Ministry of Education. It aims to promote positive relationships between law enforcement officers and youth through educational programs, sports, and recreational activities.

Director Of the TCI Sports Commission Jarrett Forbes described PAL as a “safe space and nurturing environment…[that] can help channel our young people in a positive way by empowering our youth to make responsible life choices.”

The PAL Program was launched on June 10th, 2022, and will work with softball and basketball initially but will also have projects in the educational sphere.

The initial sports leagues will be launched in Providenciales in August for young people ages 10-16 and will run for 12 weeks.

The program is not just for police officers but volunteers as well.

Superintendent of Police Dwight Gardiner lauded the program saying programs like this made a world of a difference.

“PAL is what community policing is all about. At its basic level community policing is about partnering with the community to identify problems or areas for intervention and coming up with methods of solving these problems.”

Gardiner maintained that force on its own was not the answer rather creating support systems was an integral part of policing. He urged families to support the project when it was officially launched.

Deputy Police Commissioner Rodney Adams concurred with Gardiner,  “For too long we have gotten it wrong in law enforcement globally…in policing we have had a reactive approach for far too long…The reactive approach has not worked and it will not work.” He added, “At the end of the day it will cost us a whole lot of money because we have to be paying for DNA, investigative stuff…what we are doing here today is critical.” Adams said.

He maintained that the TCI needed a more proactive approach with Prevention Intervention then Enforcement and Rehabilitation (PIER)

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Wesley Clerveaux described youth intervention as a “win-win” for the community, the individual, and the country at large.

“Through the PAL we aim to build peaceful communities…through the engagement of our youth adults too will benefit by enhancing their own competencies, they’re learning to better understand and value our youth.

He maintained that it aided in the development of a holistic child and was especially important for students who had gone through traumatic childhood experiences.

President of the Softball Association Godfrey Been and the Basketball Association Trevor Cook also attended the launch in a show of support. Both sports will launch on August 6th and last until October 22.