POLICE, WINNISQUAM MIDDLE SCHOOL STAFF WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT DRUG USE, BULLYING

Article Appeared on laconiadailysun.com

TILTON — This year, the Tilton Police Department is working to forge new partnerships with our schools and the community to increase drug prevention education and anti-bullying education in a new way. Law Enforcement Against Drugs is an evidence based, prevention education program which gives both police officers and teachers the ability to send the same message for students in grades K-12.

Rather than having just one officer present the material, this program is designed so that many officers can present the curriculum. This gets more officers involved in the schools and creates lasting positive relationships between officers and students. The training can also include school staff, counselors and community leaders, so that messaging is consistent. Chief Cormier commented about the program, “I really feel that we all need to work together and send the same message to all grades about the dangers of drug abuse and the consequences of bullying. I hope together we can make a difference to prevent the next generation of teens experimenting with dangerous drugs as well as bullying, which can scar a child forever.”

Training and planning for this program started in the summer of 2016. WRMS teacher Cenanne Sanders, Tilton Police Chief Robert Cormier and Officer Rich Ort were key to this planning and have received extensive training in the program, most recently in January by the executive director of L.E.A.D., Nicholas DeMauro. Also in January, six officers from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts came to WRMS to teach lessons from the L.E.A.D. program. Officers and teachers provided a 45 minute lesson and joined the physical education classes for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students throughout the day.