Bureau of Justice AssistanceU.S. Department of Justice

Volume 7 • Issue 1 • summer 2012G.r.e.A.T. News

Southeast Region G.R.E.A.T.200 James Robertson ParkwayNashville, TN 37201 1-800-363-5569

No VioleNce is G.R.e.A.T.

© 2010 by the Institute for Intergovernmental Research® (IIR) on behalf of the G.R.E.A.T. National Policy Board. All rights reserved. No copies or extractions may be made without express permission. For information contact the G.R.E.A.T. National Program Office at (800) 726-7070 or P.O. Box 12729, Tallahassee, 32317-2729.

G.r.e.A.T. NATIoNAl ProGrAm offIce

Post Office Box 12729Tallahassee, FL 32317-2729

Phone: (800) 726-7070Fax: (850) 386-5356 www.great-online.org

This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-JV-FX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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GU

WESTREGION

SOUTHWESTREGION

MIDWEST ATLANTICREGION

PR

SOUTHEASTREGION

Sgt. Kelvin O. Jenkins, Regional AdministratorShelly Osterhoudt & Thomas Jackson, Assistants

By: Officer Robin Kirby, SRO/G.R.E.A.T. Instructor | Photos by Officer David Reasonover, SRO/G.R.E.A.T. Instructor and Christine Olson, Forensic Digital Imaging Specialist

Nashville’s G.R.E.A.T. Officers, by request of Commander Anthony Carter, hosted the fourth annual G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program at North Precinct. A record number of children ranging in age from 6 to 13 bonded with officers, made new friends, and learned valuable G.R.E.A.T. skills during the week-long day camp. Campers participated in A.W.A.N.A. games, physical fitness activities, roller skating, swimming and community service. High school students (all former campers), who displayed leadership skills and a willingness to work with youth, were selected to serve as mentors and positive role models during the camp. In closing ceremonies Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson addressed the campers and visiting parents. All camp participants received certificates and medals awarded by Commander Carter.

See pages 10-11 for our event scrapbook.

Metro Nashville G.R.E.A.T. Officers Kick off “Camp Season” with the North Precinct G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program

[Top] G.R.E.A.T. Summer Camp cake

[Bottom] G.R.E.A.T. Camp participants, staff, Commander Anthony Carter,

and Chief Steve Anderson

Choose to be G.R.e.A.t.NATIoNAl News

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G.R.E.A.T. Instructor SafetyBy: Linda Hammond-Deckard, Policy Advisor - Bureau of Justice AssistanceFirst there was Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in March 1998, with five victims; then Columbine in April 1999 with 13 victims. In March 2005, there were nine victims in Red Lake High School in Minnesota, followed by the Nickel Mines Amish School massacre of five students in October 2006. In February 2012, three students died at Chardon High School in Ohio. But school shootings are not a twentieth- or twenty-first-century phenomenon. The first recorded incident of a student-perpetrated shooting at a school was in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 2, 1853, when a student shot his schoolmaster for excessively disciplining his brother the previous day. Those of us who participate in the G.R.E.A.T. Program as national partners and regional training administrators and those of you who serve as G.R.E.A.T. instructors in classrooms across the country know that G.R.E.A.T. is designed to reduce youth involvement in gang activities, decrease acts of violence, and lead to behavioral changes that will ultimately create a friendlier learning environment. The Program also seeks to ensure that students, faculty, and administrators are safe while in and around schools.

In concept, this is something we all hope to accomplish. However, in just the past 12 months, there have been at least eight incidents involving firearms at schools in seven states. Although we would all like to think that our schools are safe and we recognize that the rate of these occurrences is relatively low based on the number of schools nationwide, it is never wise to assume that “This could never happen at my school!” Additionally, over the past several years, assaults on all law enforcement officers have increased dramatically—to more than 50,000 per year. As law enforcement or school resource officers, each one of you has committed to “protecting those you serve.” In order to fulfill that obligation, each of you needs to take the steps necessary to ensure that you are prepared should such an incident of violence occur at your school. Being prepared includes ensuring that your school has a workable emergency plan and that school administrators and teachers understand the plan.

Being prepared for a violent encounter with a school staff member, student, parent, or outsider also requires that each officer make a

personal commitment to ensuring his or her own safety. In January 2011, an Oakland, California, school police officer, who was providing protection at a school function being held at a community center, was stabbed while investigating a suspicious vehicle. Fortunately, this officer survived the incident because he was wearing a bullet-/stab-resistant vest. Had this officer been rendered disabled by the aggressor, it could have provided the assailant with an opportunity to commit further acts against students or staff attending the event.

Protective vests can be uncomfortable and cumbersome, but bearing in mind that we can never predict when we will become involved in what could be a deadly force situation and that each officer’s goal should be to be able to protect those he or she is serving and ultimately survive the incident, the G.R.E.A.T. Program encourages all G.R.E.A.T. instructors to wear their bullet-resistant vests. This includes en route to or from the schools where they teach G.R.E.A.T., as well as in the classroom while delivering the lessons.

You all owe it to yourselves, your families, and your students to reduce your risk of injury and increase your chances of survival if ever caught in a situation involving deadly force.

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“Just Enough” - A Good Rule to FollowOccasionally, the National Program Office will hear from instructors who discover a stockpile of old student handbooks in a storeroom or warehouse. They want to know if the handbooks can still be used. Most often, the answer has been that the handbooks must be recycled because they no longer correspond with the latest version of the instructor’s curricula.

When getting ready to order handbooks, it is important to project, as closely as possible, how many student handbooks you will need for the upcoming school year. In other words, order “just enough” to get you through the year.

There are two reasons for this. First, revisions to the handbooks typically occur on an annual basis, and this will help ensure you have the latest version. Second, it is a waste of federal funds to stockpile the handbooks only to have them recycled later. We can certainly find more effective uses for G.R.E.A.T. Program funds.

The handbook order form on the G.R.E.A.T. web site requests that instructors enter the projected number of students that will be taught

“in the upcoming semester/year.” Please ensure you follow these instructions. The number of handbooks you receive is based upon your projected numbers. However, since handbooks are shipped in sets of 50, you will receive a few extra above your projection.

It is also a wise idea to order your handbooks at least 30 days prior to the start of school. The start of school is a busy time for the printer. Ordering at least 30 days out will help ensure the printer has sufficient time to package and ship your order.

If you have any questions about how to complete the order form, a video tutorial is available on the instructor resources page. If the tutorial does not answer your question, please contact the National Program Office at 800–726–7070 or by sending an e-mail to information@great-online.org.

For information regarding the

U.S. Department of Justice’s Bulletproof

Vest Partnership (BVP) Program

and to learn how your agency can receive federal funds to help purchase protective

vests for its sworn law enforcement officers, visit the BVP Program Web site at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bvpbasi/.

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1-800-363-5569 | www.segreat.org

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education (ED), has re-launched its web site, www.stopbullying.gov.

The new site emphasizes steps individuals can take to prevent and stop bullying in their schools and communities. It also features easy-to-use tools and resources for community leaders, young people, and families, including:

• How to recognize the warning signs and when to take action• Tips to prevent bullying before it starts• How to implement strategies for intervention• Ways to share your community’s resources,

policies, or strategies to prevent and address bullying

• Information on bullying laws in your state

The new site will help you share ideas and start discussions about the role you can play in preventing bullying in your community. You can:

• Add widgets and badges to your own web site.• Subscribe to e-mail updates to find out about

new content on the site.• Submit your own materials for inclusion in the

site’s resource database. • Follow StopBullying.gov on Twitter or

Facebook for more information on how to take action.

Also, the team overseeing the StopBullying web site would greatly appreciate it if you look for the yellow boxes at the bottom of most pages. This is their new user feedback tool, which can be used to tell them whether you found the page useful or not. You can also share your ideas for how to improve the web pages.

In addition, all of the federal government’s bullying prevention efforts, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Stop Bullying Now! campaign, have been transitioned to one central location. If you have been using the Stop Bullying Now! logo, it is suggested that you replace it with the new StopBullying.gov logo and swap the HRSA web address (www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov) for StopBullying.gov, if you provide links from your site.

New Federal Government Bullying Resource

Recent questions submitted to G.R.E.A.T.’s new e-mail list service resulted in some wise counsel from other G.R.E.A.T. instructors. The questions were about G.R.E.A.T. students who demonstrated inappropriate behaviors and whether they should be allowed to graduate from the program. Specifically, the situations involved students who stole library books and students who had been suspended for fighting and disorderly conduct.

In summary, responses to the questions were right on target—these students should not automatically be allowed to graduate. The main point was that instructors need to interact with these students to assess the situation and to ensure they understand the consequences of their actions. Before automatically denying graduation, some instructors offered students an opportunity to redeem themselves. For example, they required their students to write an essay about the situation and what actions they took to self-correct their behavior. Other students were required to perform community service work in order to graduate. In some situations, however, the instructors determined it was best to have the students repeat the program.

The G.R.E.A.T. Program does not have an official policy on withholding graduation from students who have received suspensions or other disciplinary actions. The decision is at the discretion of the instructor, and should be in consultation with school officials.

Instructors should do what they believe is best for the students involved. In handling such situations, instructors should keep in mind how their decision affects not only the students who got into trouble, but also the other students who made suitable choices, displayed appropriate behaviors, and completed the program. Not allowing these students to graduate should send the message, to both them and the students who do graduate, that the certificate has meaning and purpose.

Join GREATINFO and Be In the Know

Join the GREATINFO list service today. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to network and share in the wealth of knowledge that exists in the G.R.E.A.T. community. To submit a membership application to join the group, visit www.great-online.org/Links/GREATINFO.

Congratulations Graduates!

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Welcome New G.R.E.A.T. Officers of 2012!

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1. GOT2-1202 – Sykesville, MD January 16 – 25, 20122. GOT2-1207 – Nashville, TN March 26 – April 4, 20123. GOT2-1218 – Boca Raton, FL March 5 -12, 20124. GOT1-1208 – Nashville, TN May 14 – 18, 20125. GOT2-1203 – Salemburg, NC February 13 – 22, 2012 (not pictured)

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By: Lauren Delgada | Jackson County Floridan | May 23, 2012A program aiming to dissuade middle school and elementary school students from joining gangs and participating in other delinquent behavior will be tried out this fall in fifth and sixth grade classes at Malone School.

The Jackson County School Board spoke of expanding the Gang Resistance Education And Training or G.R.E.A.T. program to other classes and schools after seeing how it works at Malone School.The middle school curriculum consists of 13 lessons outlining ways for students to avoid turning peer pressure into bad behavior and to establish a relationship between the students and law enforcement. At Malone School, the classes will be taught by School Resource Officer and Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Andy Roedel, who initially approached Malone Principal Doug Powell.

Middle school students are trying to find a group to fit in, a family of sorts, Powell said. This program shows them the true nature of the “family” they would have if they joined a gang.

“We’re trying to hit them at this age before it’s too late,” Powell said.

Facebook and the Internet make recruiting young students into gangs at an easier and faster rate than when their parents were in school, Powell said.

“They can be persuaded in ways when we were growing up that we could never be,” Powell said.

Each class would take place once a week for a single period, Powell said. The school is looking into using a history or physical education class period, but hasn’t decided quite yet.

The program itself is free to the school district. Roedel will attend training sessions with the G.R.E.A.T. program, and the Sheriff’s Office will only be required to pay for his traveling expenses. Roedel’s training, books and other course materials are free.

Malone School starting a gang resistance program

Excerpt from The Cary News | May 29, 2012Five Fuquay-Varina police officers spent 13 weeks teaching 300 seventh graders the Gang Resistance Education And Training middle school curriculum, a violence prevention program specifically directed at teens. Before graduating, students chose to do a service project as part of their training and collected more than 1,500 pounds of food for the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Bank. In total, more than 700 kids will graduate from the program this year.

Instructors for the program include Sergeant Scottie Hinton, Officer Wayne Dauphinais, Officer Allison Pasterick, Corporal Cindy Perna and Corporal Mike McDonald.

G.R.E.A.T. at Fuquay-Varina, NC

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reGIoNAl News

Sergeant Kelvin Jenkins is the new Regional Administrator for the G.R.E.A.T. Southeast Region. He is a 22 year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department. During this time he has served as a patrol officer, a detective in the Domestic Violence Division and the Office of Professional Accountability, a sergeant in patrol, and the Field Training / School Resource Office Coordinator. He received his B.S. from Tennessee State University, and M. S. from Cumberland University in Public Service Management.

Regional Welcome

Upcoming G.R.E.A.T. Officer Trainings

Class Start Date End Date Location RegionRegistration

DeadlineGFT-1211 07/09/12 07/10/12 Sunset Beach NC SE 06/08/12

GOT2-1219 07/23/12 08/01/12 Clayton County, GA SE 06/22/12GOT2-1214 10/08/12 10/17/12 Nashville, TN SE 09/07/12GOT2-2020 10/29/12 11/07/12 Chesterfield, VA SE 09/28/12

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We would like to honor Officer Thomas Jackson who will be retiring July 31, 2012 with a total of 41 years of service. He will truly be missed for his years of dedication to the G.R.E.A.T. program, as he played an instrumental part of getting the Southeast Regional Training Center here in Nashville and for all of his years of hard work and service working with the youth of Nashville in making G.R.E.A.T. Families and Summer Camps as successful as they are.

By: Darrick Ignasiak | The Dispatch, Davidson County News | January 19, 2012

Misty Hartwell, a 12-year veteran of the Thomasville Police Department, is helping students make the right choices in her new role at her law enforcement agency.

Hartwell is serving as the TPD’s officer at Thomasville Middle and Liberty Drive Elementary schools for the Gang Resistance Education And Training Program, a nationally known program that takes a proactive approach in curbing gang activity. The program was introduced in the Thomasville City system for the first time when Hartwell began teaching sixth-grade students in October at Thomasville Middle.

So far, Hartwell has reached about 175 sixth-graders at the middle school. The G.R.E.A.T. officer will begin teaching the program at Liberty Drive Elementary next week

“It has gone pretty good,” said Hartwell, who previously served as the school resource officer at Thomasville High School. “I’ve actually had some good results.”

The G.R.E.A.T. Program focuses on providing life skills to students to help them avoid delinquent behavior and violence and solve problems. Hartwell said she volunteered to instruct the program at the two schools.

So far, Hartwell has noticed several students change their behavior in a positive way. Some disciplinary issues that were a problem at Thomasville Middle are no more, she said.

One of the lessons given by the officer informed students on how not to become part of a gang. Hartwell emphasized the Chair City does not have a gang problem. She noted the new program is a measure to prevent gang activity in Thomasville.

“… We define what a gang is, and what violence and crime is,” Hartwell said. “We go in and talk about bullying, how to detour bullying, different techniques to control your anger and goal setting.”

At Thomasville Middle, Hartwell’s program for a group of students is 13 lessons. The program for the elementary school will be six lessons, she said.

“A lot of this is life skills,” Hartwell said of the G.R.E.A.T. Program. “A lot of times it is letting them use their brains, make the wise choices, sit there and think before you jump on something. It also lets them know that fighting doesn’t resolve anything.”

Through the program, students, Hartwell explained, are becoming fond of her presence at the school. At the beginning, Hartwell acknowledged, some students were a bit standoffish.

This summer, Hartwell is planning to have a summer program for between 20 to 40 rising sixth- and seventh-graders at Thomasville Middle. She plans on bringing in guest speakers to talk with students and having a day of fun for the children.

“We are going to be reinforcing what they are learning from the (G.R.E.A.T. Program) book,” she said.

Community Police Officer Misty Hartwell of the Thomasville Police Department holds materials she uses to teach students through the new Gang Resistance Education And Training Program

TDP Officer Helping Students Make Right Choices

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[Top Row] 1. “Welcome to Camp!” the Nashville G.R.E.A.T.

mascot cheerily greets a visiting parent.2. Camp participants warm up with morning

physical fitness activities.3. Our blue and orange teams ride the Green

Machines for the races during --Camp Olympics.

[Middle Row]1. The energetic, enthusiastic “Game Master” pays

a visit to generate some A.W.A.N.A style fun on skates. Check out the roller boots!

2. G.R.E.A.T. campers deliver a bit of sunshine and community service to residents of Hadley Towers Assisted Living Center.

3. Lunch is served at the Wave Country picnic area, courtesy of Subway.

[Bottom Row] 1. Cool off on the Slip and Slide courtesy of our

friends from the Nashville Fire Department.2. A small pool with waterfall umbrellas provides a

fun, safe place for younger campers to play.3. An adventurous camper takes the plunge from one

of the many slides featured at Wave Country.

North Precinct G.R.E.A.T. Summer

Program “Camp Season Event Scrapbook”

(continued from page 1)