FOOTBALL MATCH SEEN AS VICTORY FOR ALL IN SUPPORTING PEACE IN ST MARY
ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary; June 10, 2025
Taxi Men got the better of the St Mary Police with a 4-1 victory in their friendly football match in Annotto Bay on Sunday evening, June 8, 2025.
The high-energy encounter was seen as a victory for safety and security and improved relations between police and residents of the parish.
The match played at the West Oval, Annotto Bay, St Mary, was hosted by the St. Mary Citizens Safety and Security Branch and saw an electrifying display of skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The taxi men were winning the second of the two matches against the police, having won the first encounter 4-2 at the same venue in February 2025.
(Police team members on the left of picture and Annotto Bay area Taxi Men on the right)
Attired in yellow and blue, the Police team, which featured none other than the Commander of the Division, Superintendent Anthony Wallace, gave a determined performance but couldn’t even the score following their February loss.
According to Superintendent Wallace, “this spirited match was more than just a game; it is an extension of the PREVENT Initiative, aimed at restoring peace and strengthening community bonds.”
(Alton Jackson, receiving one of the Father’s Day gift items from Superintendent Anthony Wallace)
The PREVENT Initiative (Partnership for Reconciliation, Engagement, and Violence Elimination Now and Tomorrow) seeks to build trust and foster positive relationships between the police and the community. Through events like this football match, the initiative promotes unity, understanding, and cooperation. The friendly rivalry between the Police and Taxi Men teams added to the excitement.
A large number of supporters from within and around the community came out in support of the encounter. All members of the Taxi Men team were presented with Father’s Day certificates.
(A happy father receives his certificate from DSP Stacy Creary, in charge of Community Safety and Security for St Mary)
The police say the community’s response to the event was overwhelmingly welcoming, with many expressing enthusiasm for the initiative and its potential to bring people together. The positive feedback and support for expanding the initiative across the Division have been encouraging. The police are eager to engage with different taxi associations, communities, and groups to build on this momentum. The St. Mary CSSB invites other stakeholders to join in this effort, as they aim to build partnerships, unity, and camaraderie through events of this magnitude.
The winning team testifies to benefits of the friendly. Watch
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