The Pride in Gonzales Project has been adjudged the winner of an annual Community Policing Initiatives Award. This award is sponsored by the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) and Corporate Sponsor, Motorola.

The rationale for this award is to reward and recognise individuals, groups and organisations who have contributed significantly to the development and implementation of community policing initiatives, which have resulted substantially to the enhancement of police community relations and/or the improvement of community life. Pride in Gonzales topped Category 2 which applies to forces/services of participating countries whose membership is more than 1000.

The winning contribution selected by the panel of judges was submitted by Asst Supt Earl Jackson in the form of a video presentation entitled The Cross, the Star and the People.

The basis of this initiative was the unified involvement of the St Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Gonzales (the cross), the Police (the star) and the Community (the people of Gonzales) working together to curb the gang violence and to find solutions to the many social problems affecting them.
 
Brief history of Pride in Gonzales

In 2003, Fr Jason Gordon, parish priest of the St Martin de Porres Church started a number of intervention initiatives for the youth in collaboration with the Catholic Commission for Social Justice.

The CITY programmes (Community Intervention Transforming Youth) were in response to the Church’s concern about the number of murders taking place in the Gonzales community. A major problem was youth indiscipline.

The strategy was to offer formation for the youth through various programmes - adolescent human and social development, Internet café, homework clinics, sports, music, drama and performing arts.

In October 2004, Fr Jason was approached by the Port of Spain City Corporation and the Canadian Institute of Planners to join forces in an urbanisation project for the Gonzales community.

The coming together of these institutions gave birth to the project now known as Pride in Gonzales. Combining CITY with the urbanisation project had the potential to address the development of the entire village.

Pride in Gonzales represented a significant deepening of the CITY intervention strategy. It also brought participatory governance to Gonzales and the residents now have a major input in the development of their community.

Following a number of village meetings, groups were formed. These groups have been working diligently in conjunction with the Police and the City Corporation to address the most urgent needs of the citizens.

Apart from crime and youth indiscipline, some of the other key areas of concern being addressed were lack of community integration, unemployment, disposal of garbage, reconstruction of the Community Centre, roads and infrastructure, inadequate social activity and water.

This project has brought together many people around the table in Gonzales - residents, leaders of cultural and religious organisations, the Ministry of National Security, Members of Parliament, architects, project managers, market research specialists, theologians and urban planners from Trinidad and Canada.

In recognition of his leadership role and contribution to the project, the Corporate Sponsor, Motorola invited Fr Jason Gordon to attend the annual ACCP conference scheduled for Aruba from May 24 – 31.

Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, Fr Jason will be unable to attend as he will be out of the country. He will be represented by Davy Rajah of the St Martin de Porres Parish who will be accompanied by Asst Supt Earl Jackson, winner of the award and Winifred David from the Port of Spain City Corporation.