Counselling for SEPoSS students, staff after shooting

anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt

One day after a drive-by shooting along Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, left three people injured and forced the early closure of the South East Port-of-Spain Secondary School (SEPoSS), staff and students were given yesterday off by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

School officials explained that the day off yesterday was necessary to help the traumatised students and staff “recalibrate and recollect themselves.”

Thursday’s shooting at 10.30 am forced the school’s occupants to activate safety precautions outlined by the Health and Safety Department, which included barricading themselves in classrooms, closing windows and doors, and hiding beneath desks well away from vulnerable access points.

While many of the students were accustomed to hearing gunshots throughout the night and to a lesser extent during the day, school officials said it was still unnerving and frightening.

In an interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) officials confirmed the incident had caused many of the staff and students to suffer panic and anxiety attacks. Saying they had met with stakeholders to discuss short to long-term plans to improve security at the school yesterday, one person said it was again time to consider relocating the school, as it was in a high-crime and hot spot area.

SEPoSS PTA president Denise Braithwaite told Guardian Media that all efforts had been activated to assist in the counselling of both staff and students, which is due to begin on Monday. However, she was uncertain up to midday yesterday if these sessions would be done at the school.

SEPoSS is just one of a handful of schools whose occupants have experienced the psycho-social trauma associated with gun violence in the past month.

Thursday was the latest incident to occur within the city limits.

Meanwhile, over in Belmont at St Francois Girls’ College, which was also dismissed early after a shooting incident outside the school on September 28, parents rejected talk of a relocation, as they said any move to close the institutional landmark would not help the staff, students or the community.

Parents waiting to collect their children ahead of dismissal time admitted that they remain scared while waiting outside the school daily.

Before climbing into her car, one woman said, “A shooting could happen now as we standing here.”

This was endorsed by two male parents, who said they were just anxious to get their charges and leave the area.

They said while last month’s shooting outside the school was not the first or second such incident to occur within recent times, “the police need to do their job.”

Suggesting the placement of a static patrol inside the school during the course of the day, the men said officers in marked vehicles at strategic times could also assist greatly in keeping such incidents at bay.

One man hinted that the cause of much of the gun violence in the area was the familial relationship between lawmen and criminals.

He said, “If the police do what they supposed to do, this wouldn’t be happening. Police and gangsters cyar be friends, and is too much police and gangsters is friends so that is why the gangsters have no respect for the police. It could never stop until the police act their role and do their part.”

Asked if they felt it was time to relocate the school, another parent said, “No, that is a big step. You can’t just move a school, especially a school like this, which has been here for so many years.

“All they need to do is put security in place. People respect police you know, even if they park up there all day.”

The two men agreed it was a very good school which had produced many scholars and was an integral part of the community, adding to relocate it would only hurt the area and residents.

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