George Town neighbourhood officer, PC Tamara Jackson, spent valuable time on Wednesday (25 April 2012) with students at Miss Nadine’s pre-school.

PC Jackson talked to the students – all aged between 2 and 4 years – about safety in the home, on the streets and in parks. The youngsters then took part in a question and answer session before taking  a close up view of a police car.

“It was great to see that the children were so enthusiastic and keen to learn,” said PC Jackson. “They all seemed to enjoy the presentation and loved seeing the police car. Those who answered questions correctly were also presented with stickers.

“The visit to Miss Nadine’s is all part of building positive relationships with the schools, communities and the students. I hope to be back at the school soon to talk again with the children about more safety subjects.”

“We are so thankful to the officers for making the time to come by, it was a great experience for the students to be able to interact with them. The students learnt about street safety and being safe around strangers, which was also a part of the graduating class curriculum that day.” said Principal of Miss Nadine’s preschool, Ms. Caroline Ebanks.

Anyone who wishes to arrange similar presentations within their own pre-schools/ schools should contact their nearest police office.

And finally we have “Cayman Cop to Tweet from the Beat”

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is launching a new scheme in a bid to keep communities better informed.

Beginning Tuesday, 8 May 2012, Neighborhood Officer, PC Sharon Baillie, will Tweet from the Beat as she works in the communities of West Bay.

PC Baillie will message via the general RCIPS Twitter account – @ ‘caymanpolice’ – but will sign her tweets “PC Baillie – WB”.

This pilot programme will be monitored over the next few weeks and it is hoped that it will then be rolled out to the other districts.

Acting Superintendent Robert Scotland is an enthusiastic supporter of social media. “I see this as a very positive step forward in keeping people within our Communities better informed,” he said. “It will, in a way, demystify the role of the police officer. Everyone is using smartphones nowadays and we aim to capitalise on that to break down barriers and engage with people, young and old.”

PC Baillie admits that she is a little nervous about entering into the world of social media, but is willing to embrace any avenue of communication that can assist her in her role. “The concept of Tweet from the Beat is an interesting one,” she says. “But if it helps get our messages out into the wider public and encourages people to get more involved with what we do it can only be a good thing.”

If you want to receive Tweets from the Beat sign up to follow ‘caymanpolice’ on Twitter.