WHEN Kasel Campbell learnt that there are gangs operating in several communities in Tobago, he was not surprised. But he was taken aback by the fact that at least 20 were identified.

Former head of the Tobago Division ACP William Nurse revealed the figure during a recent interview with Newsday, saying that 70 per cent of the island’s most notorious criminals lived in the Les Coteaux/Golden Lane area.

Nurse alluded to a report published by the intelligence unit which said that other smaller gangs exist in Lambeau and Government House Road.

The ACP said he would love to see specific steps taken to “uproot them, find them wherever they are and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Campbell, 27, told Sunday Newsday gangs exist because they provide something young men crave – value and position.

“They want a hallmark to measure their growth, a sense of safety and belonging,” he said.

[caption id="attachment_958190" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kasel Campbell, third from right, with other leaders in the Rites of Passage: Boys To Men programme. - Photo courtesy Kasel Campbell[/caption]

“I think as long as we don’t recreate avenues that encapsulate and cultivate what these men subconsciously crave, young men would continue to gravitate to these gangs as opposed to other positive social groups.”

Campbell is a change leader with Rites of Passage: Boys To Men programme (BTM), a group which offers a forum for young men to openly share their anxieties and aspirations.

He is also a familiar face on Tobago’s theatre landscape, having been a member of the non-profit performing arts company THETA since its inception in March 2012. THETA is an acronym for Transforming, Healing and Empowering through the Arts.

With its vision to be “a premier theatre company in Tobago,” THETA continues to be a fixture at many cultural and social events on the island.

The group has performed at events hosted by the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection and the Indigenous Creative Arts Network (ICAN).

Just three weeks ago, the THETA also did an emotional piece at a forum titled GBV & ME: Insights and Solutions from the youth of the region.

The event, hosted by the ICAN, was held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Blenheim, Tobago. It was held in collaboration with the United Nations Spotlight initiative.

Apart from gender-based abuse, THETA has tackled several other gritty issues in its presentations over the years, including crime, bullying and sexuality.

[caption id="attachment_958188" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Members of Rites of Passage: Boys To Men programme in Tobago. - Photo courtesy Kasel Campbell[/caption]

Its work includes workshops, training in the performing arts, plays and arts-based interventions for social and behavioural change.

Campbell said his involvement in THETA, which currently has about 25 active members, prepared him for the role he now holds in BTM.

“The group has had a profound impact on my life… working in theatre can heal and open you up