00:00While some tables are stacked with food for the festive Christmas period there
00:04are those including the homeless who still worry about where their next meal
00:08is coming from. Officers of the St. Joseph police station took the worry
00:12away for some people at least for a day as they took the hand-in-hand initiative
00:17to Tunapuna in collaboration with the Salvation Army. WPC Rihanna Nicholas
00:22Diaz spoke to the initiative. We are here today just to feed the homeless the
00:29meeting is desirous of a meal, a hot plate of food as you call it. Our team, our small
00:37team consists of police officers and civilians right different stakeholders are part of our team.
00:44The meals were prepared by two chefs including a police officer and it's the
00:48first time the initiative has taken on that form. We're told over 100 people were fed.
00:53The softer side of policing was felt by motorists along the east-west corridor as well.
00:59The H.I.H. initiative began in Freeman roads and Augustine in 2022 amid a high
01:17murder spike in that area. H.I.H. public relations officer Gerard Kouten notes the impact that has been
01:24realized. We would have gone into the area to try and make a difference and by the grace of God we
01:28were able to and since then till now we have seen no murders in that particular area. We would have
01:36expanded in that area. Since then there have been many ventures under the initiative including clothing
01:43drives, annual drives including the Christmas treat where Santa Claus will put in an appearance.
01:48As for the whole four hand in hand. That is our dream and our wish for the need to be replicated
01:55in different divisions. This little hand in hand. We look forward to expanding the hand in hand as we
02:02have a number of things set for 2026 which you all will be privy to based on when the permissions
02:08received. We will make it privy to the news media so that they could spread the word. And WPC
02:14Nicholas Diaz is making a request of the public. Please do not lose faith in the police. Not all
02:22police officers are the same. But we are here to show Trinidad and Tobago and the world that it's
02:31how police officers who do care and love all. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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