10 hours ago
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The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s Victim and Witness Support Unit (VWSU) has provided psychosocial support to staff at San Juan North Secondary School following the assault and robbery of a teacher on the school compound.
The intervention took place on Monday, with 30 members of staff participating in a debriefing session aimed at allowing them to discuss their concerns, process the impact of the incident and access professional psychosocial support.
The session was conducted by two VWSU sub-teams and included members of the school’s senior staff.
Assistant Head of Social Support Kirk Pierre, Supervisor of Operations Janelle Sebastien-Reyes and Victim and Witness Support Officers Bianca Augustus, Jamiyla Sargeant, Ancil Winchester, Kimeco Fletcher-Chase and Latoya Lewis facilitated the intervention.
According to the TTPS, the principal and staff expressed appreciation for the support and indicated an interest in a follow-up session.
The police said the VWSU would continue making its support services available to members of the school community.
The latest intervention forms part of a wider response involving the TTPS, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Homeland Security and other stakeholders following the incident.
The agencies have also been addressing security concerns at the school.
Last week, TTPS and partner agencies met with school officials to discuss measures aimed at strengthening security at the compound.
Those measures include improving lighting, repairing sections of the perimeter fencing, installing closed-circuit television cameras and clearing thick undergrowth around the school to improve visibility.
The TTPS said the interventions are intended to address both the welfare of those affected by the incident and security concerns at the school.
The assault and robbery of the teacher prompted renewed attention to security at the school compound, with authorities now pursuing both physical security improvements and support for staff affected by the incident.
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