Community fighting back,
covers graffiti with paint
ST. PETERS--Graphic expletives were among the graffiti plastered around the St. Peters Basketball court that was covered with coats of yellow paint by a large number of volunteers who turned out to show that they were against this activity.
Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams, the Principal and teachers of St. Maarten Academy PSVE, a representative of the HIV/AIDS Programme Management Team, a government media worker and many youngsters, including several from the St. Peters district were among the large number of persons participated in the exercise.
St. Peters Community Council (SPCC) representatives were also on hand to assist coordinators David Miller, the architect of the community-based “Dare to be King” intervention project, psychologist Alan Green of the USA and PEACE IS Foundation.
The idea of this venture is for a mobile response team to be formed and distributed within the districts with the task of painting over gang graffiti wherever spotted. The Basketball court was the first stop. The intention is to send a clear message to those who paint the graffiti that the community will fight back, coordinators said.
Miller had said at a forum last week that he was astounded by the manner in which some neighbourhoods on the island reminded him of some dangerous neighbourhoods in the USA.
Miller and Green also intend to introduce the “Dare to be King” curriculum by recruiting 25 “responsible, spiritually-guided, sober” men to work with 40 already-identified gang-related youngsters.
The graffiti –removal exercise brightened the basketball court.
