On Saturday, 1 May, the RCIPS Community Policing Unit along with the residents of Windsor Park gathered at the Windsor Park Community Park in honour of the revitalization project that was organized by the Windsor Park Community Officer - PC Tamara Jackson.
PC Jackson envisioned making the park more of a clean and safe place for the children of Windsor Park to congregate and play, and to provide them with structured activities to help them grow and create positivity in their lives. She began reaching out to residents of Windsor Park and the wider community, and eventually got in touch with youth basketball coach Corey McGee. Coach McGee loved the idea of the project and decided to come on board. He contacted an excellent artist that was known to him and began working. The artist, Orville Robinson even incorporated the assistance of the children in the community to paint the mural, thus giving them the opportunity to be a part of the work that will benefit them.
PC Jackson then collected donations among her fellow officers and they all came together and purchased uniforms for the Windsor Park Basketball team. The members of the team, at the ribbon cutting ceremony, welcomed their friends and family to the improved community park and court. Various prominent members of the community attended and provided donations to help make the event a fun day for the children, while the RCIPS Community Police Officers provided the music. Several persons spoke to the youth who were in attendance, including the Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Kenneth Bryan. The Guest Speaker was Mr. Brandon Glasgow who shared stories of where basketball has taken him in his youth.
The team and their coach presented a plaque to Mr. Robinson as a thank you for the astonishing work he put into painting the court, and the evening was completed with a game of basketball.
The RCIPS and its Community Police Officers thank everyone who shared in this vision and assisted to make it a reality for the youth of the Windsor Park Community. As a result of this youth initiative, several other communities have reached out to the Community Officers and the Windsor Park Community and a Youth Tournament was established. The games start tonight, Friday 7 May at 6PM at the John A Cumber Primary School Basketball Court and conclude on Sunday, 9 May at the Windsor Park Basketball Court. The communities that will be participating will be West Bay, Bodden Town and Savannah.