THE Hamilton Parish "Communities That Care", a community-wide initiative for young people, is linking up with the Bermuda Police Service to address neighbourhood problems.

The aim is to encourage community policing "which addresses both the risk factors of low neighbourhood attachment and community disorganisation, and community laws and norms favourable to drug use and crime", said a spokesman.

"The police will focus on how we can make our neighbourhoods safer utilising the neighbourhood watch programme."

Residents of the parish who are interested in these important and timely matters are urged to attend a public meeting on Tuesday at Francis Patton Primary School on North Shore Road from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Don Laurenceo, chairman of the Hamilton Parish Council, co-chair of "Communities That Care" and a 30-year resident of Bermuda, said the mission of "Communities That Care" is to ensure that all young people in Hamilton Parish grow up supported and nurtured by their families, schools and community, and become healthy adults who contribute positively to society.

"On Tuesday night, we are concentrating on the policing of our neighbourhoods," said Mr. Laurenceo.

"There have been a lot of complaints that the police are not there when people need them, are very picky about the things that they do, and persecute the youngsters and that sort of thing. We have asked the police to come and explain their role in the community here, and how we can help them to do their job."

Hamilton Parish was chosen by The Family Centre and the National Drug Commission as a pilot parish to implement the "Communities That Care" system.

THE system, developed in the US by Dr. David Hawkins and Dr. Richard Catalano, whose work was published by the Channing Bete Company, is intended to help communities work together to promote the positive development of children and youth and prevent problem adolescent behaviour.

"We are concerned that so many of our young people are growing up being hostile to the police," said Mr. Laurenceo, "and that it's damaging, not only to the community, but to themselves.

"They feel that they can't or don't go to them for help when they need it, and seek revenge for things done to themselves, which escalates the whole violent situation. So the police are going to be here to listen to the people from the community, and to talk about their role, and how we can take responsibility for some of the things that are happening here, and put an end to it."

Mr. Laurenceo said the primary goal of the meeting was to get the community involved in the "Communities That Cares" activities. The programme was launched a year ago, but it "needs a new head of steam".

He added: "We are very hopeful that we will have a good turnout, and we are saturating the community with leaflets inviting everyone to show up and take part, and we are even providing baby-sitting services. We are going to have food and drink, so we hope people will come out and show they care.

"I don't want to harp on the topic too much, but we are particularly concerned about our young black men, many of whom are having a really rough time. I am not of the opinion that society is geared to do this to them, but I have a feeling that they are out of sync with what is happening and what is needed in this new Bermuda that we are building.

"If you remember where we came from, out of tourism and the trades, and now we are a major financial centre requiring a level of intellectual effort and achievement and ability that we never called for before.

"It seems that women have been much better able to switch to this new situation, and to some extent, young men feel left out. They will tell you that they don't know anyone who looks like them, or has come out of their environment, who has succeeded. So, our goal is to try and reshape the entire structure of how we relate to our young people."

It was understood that if the pilot programme was successful in Hamilton Parish, the committee would make a report to Government recommending the system's extension, but Government has already decided to make it an island-wide programme.

"We are full of optimism," said Mr. Laurenceo, "but we haven't tested the programme yet to know if it works. We have a hard core of committed people, but we need a new push to get additional people, new blood in to help take the programme to the next level."