About 400 students from Lincoln and Payne counties recently completed the L.E.A.D. program, according to a press release. The students are sixth and ninth graders from Ripley Middle School, Perkins-Tryon Middle School, Carney Middle School, Carney High School and Perkins-Tryon High School.
L.E.A.D. stands for Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence. This program was led by Assistant Chief of Police Charles Danker and Officer Bailey Tucker from the Iowa Tribe Police Department.
It’s a 10-week course that teaches kids why it’s important to stay away from drugs and violence while also teaching them how to set goals, manage emotions and make wise decisions, according to the press release.
“It was great to see the kids jump right into something that was unfamiliar to them,” Danker said. “They were attentive and actively engaged in participating in all areas of the program.”
He added that the students learned a lot, saying the difference between the pre-test and post-test was significant. It was clear that many of the students knew very little about the serious effects drugs have on the body. However, their attentiveness and participation paid off, he said.
“Now that the students are better educated on the dangers of alcohol and drugs, I believe that they’ll be able to make better decisions in moments of peer pressure,” he said.
Danker said there’s been a positive response to the program from students, teachers and parents. The kids enjoyed it and were sad when the program ended. He added that they got the chance to have positive interactions with law enforcement, who were doing something caring rather than only being there for their worst day.
“It was extremely rewarding to help the students learn how to make healthy decisions, arming them with the knowledge to be outstanding citizens and preparing them for what they may face in the world,” Danker said.
For 10 years, L.E.A.D. has provided the services “On the Street” and “In the Classroom,” which bring together law enforcement and communities, the press release said. “In the Classroom” is taught by 6,000 trained instructors in 46 states. It is a law enforcement- focused anti-drug, anti-violence curriculum for K through 12 students.
Nick DeMauro, CEO of L.E.A.D., congratulated the recent grads from Lincoln and Payne counties on their hard work.
“We look forward to seeing how the students will use their newfound skills to set themselves up for successful futures, and we thank Asst. Chief Danker and Officer Tucker for their dedication to teaching L.E.A.D., helping us to continue accomplishing our goal of advancing the relationship between police officers and communities,” DeMauro said.