The L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) program started for students in four different schools in Wayne County in September, and in January, students in another four schools in the county will begin the program.
L.E.A.D. is a nationwide nonprofit that works with communities to help students understand the dangers of drugs and violence.
Deputy at Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Victoria Rouse, was trained by L.E.A.D. to teach the organization’s evidence-based curriculum.
Now, during the school day, she’ll educate 880 students, who are elementary and middle school-aged, on the importance of avoiding drugs and violence and help them learn how to set goals, manage their emotions, and make wise decisions.
“We’re thrilled that Dep. Rouse has joined our family, and we’re confident that she’s doing a great job teaching our proven-effective program to the students in Wayne County,” said Nick DeMauro, CEO of L.E.A.D. “It’s exciting to know that by teaching them the L.E.A.D. curriculum, which not only teaches children about the harms of drugs and violence but helps them to gain skills surrounding effective communication and conflict resolution, for example, she has the opportunity to completely change the students’ lives.”
“We look forward to seeing how Dep. Rouse will help us to continue accomplishing our goal of strengthening the relationship between police officers and communities,” added Mr. DeMauro.
L.E.A.D. provides services “On The Street” and “In The Classroom” as it brings law enforcement and communities closer together.
The “In The Classroom” program is taught by more than 5,000 trained instructors in 45 states, who are serving more than 500,000 students in 2,500 school systems.
L.E.A.D. has an effective, law enforcement-focused anti-drug, anti-violence curriculum for K–12 students in the U.S. The L.E.A.D. curriculum is taught over the course of a 10-week program to educate youth on how they can make smart decisions without the involvement of drugs or violence.
Prior to the kickoff of the L.E.A.D. program, Dep. Rouse was most excited to see how the kids would react to the implementation.
“Since teaching the program, I’ve noticed that the students genuinely seem disappointed when the 30-minute session comes to an end, and I have to move on to the next class,” said Dep. Rouse.
“They really seem to enjoy going over day-to-day issues and learning tools that they’ll need during the rest of their school careers and beyond,” she added. “It’s rewarding to know that I’m contributing to the enjoyment that they’re experiencing while going through the 10-week program.”
Dep. Rouse appreciates that L.E.A.D. allows the students to ask questions about real-life issues and scenarios, which she thinks will prevent them from getting into dangerous situations in the future.
“When having conversations in the classroom with the children about strategies to avoid succumbing to peer pressure, they have the opportunity to ask questions about the effects of things like alcohol and drugs,” she said. “Since the kids will be well informed on just how negative an impact these substances may have on their bodies, they won’t want to become involved in these things and learn the hard way.”
Getting to see police officers outside of their regular duties gives the students a fresh perspective of the police, says Dep. Rouse.
“By teaching them the L.E.A.D. curriculum, which helps to set the kids up for successful futures, they realize that we truly care about and want the best for them,” said Dep. Rouse. “The children greet me with hugs and ask how the program is going for other classes. By feeling heard by the police, they’re more inclined to trust and want to have better relationships with us.”
After the L.E.A.D. program was implemented in Wayne County, a vehicle was designed by Lieutenant at Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Jason Sasser, with graphics of L.E.A.D. illustrated on it.
“We had the L.E.A.D. vehicle on display at a local festival, and the people loved it,” said Lt. Sasser. “It’s already proven to be an educational tool, which resulted in many questions being asked about the program and parents’ excitement about their children being a part of the L.E.A.D. instruction.”
L.E.A.D. provides the leadership, resources, and management to ensure law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders, and families.
L.E.A.D. succeeds by providing proven and effective programs to deter youth and adults from drug use, drug-related crimes, bullying, and violence.
L.E.A.D. is committed to reinforcing the mutual respect, goodwill and relations between law enforcement and their communities. For more information, visit leadrugs.org/.
