Police officials are hoping to allay the fears of residents of two neighbouring communities that have had their fair share of crime.

On Monday, a team of senior officers from the North Eastern Division, the National Crime Prevention Office and Urban Renewal 2.0, along with a group of social workers went door to door to homes and businesses in the Kemp and Wulff Road areas, sharing simple yet critical crime prevention tips.

“You can never be too safe so, we want you to make sure that you lock your doors in the night time. If you see anything suspicious in this area, give us a call, let us know. Don’t take anything for granted,” Coordinator of the Urban Renewal Programme, Superintendent Stephen Dean advised Kemp Road resident Patrick Sands yesterday.

A longtime resident of the area, Mr. Sands applauded the police for their efforts.

“It’s an honourable thing; something that’s necessary and deeply appreciated by the community,” he said.

According to another resident, Rudolph Bullard, his neighbourhood is “doing a little” better than it was.

“You need to keep around here more often,” he said. “I’m only concerned about those bunch of boys doing foolishness around here

Monday’s exercise was about much more than just walking the beat and meeting residents.

Officials said they are collecting critical data and examining serious issues like unhealthy living standards, truancy and unemployment.

“We believe there is a direct correlation between one’s living conditions, unemployment and crime. We believe if we can get root causes that would help to reduce the crime problem in our country,” Superintendent Dean said.

Officer in Charge of the North Eastern Division, Superintendent Theophilus Cunningham agreed, adding that he and his team will continue to partner with residents to ensure their safety.

“We have been targeting prolific offenders…These operations have been very successful and a number of people have been arrested and placed before the courts,” he said.

“So, high visibility of police is definitely a crime prevention tool.”

The police have assured that such walkabouts will continue throughout the year.