Bureau of Justice Assistance

Volume 2 • Issue 1 • may 2007G.R.e.a.T. News

Attn:Mailing information will be placed here. Check with your local printer/mail house to determine specific information.

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

© 2007 by the Institute for Intergovernmental Research® (IIR) on behalf of the Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program. All rights reserved. For permission to make copies or otherwise use the content herein, contact IIR at (800) 726-7070.

G.R.e.a.T. NaTIoNal PRoGRam offIce

Post Office Box 12729Tallahassee, FL 32317-2729

Phone: (800) 726-7070Fax: (850) 386-5356

Western Region

www.great-online.orgG.R.E.A.T. Western RegionPortland Police Bureau449 NE Emerson St.Portland Oregon 97211

G.R.E.A.T. Regional Training Conferences—2007

G.R.E.A.T. Strategies for Lifelong Success

You are invited to participate in the wealth of knowledge available to you at this year’s regional training conferences for the Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program. There will be a G.R.E.A.T. Regional Training Conference in each of the program’s five regions.

SOUTHEAST REGIONJune 13−15, 2007Atlanta, GAMIDWEST REGIONJune 27−29, 2007Cleveland, OHSOUTHWEST REGIONJuly 11−13, 2007Albuquerque, NMWESTERN REGIONAugust 1−3, 2007Sacramento, CANORTHEAST REGIONAugust 15−17, 2007Hartford, CT

WorkshopsIn addition to structured networking opportunities, this year’s conferences will provide intensive

training opportunities with sessions covering a variety of topics, such as:Empathizing and intervening with youth with special

needs.Leadership and character development.Dealing with classroom-management issues.Graffiti abatement.Starting a G.R.E.A.T. Program in your community.Media influences on youth.Gang issues.

FundingThrough funding provided by the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the conference registration fee is waived. Participants will be responsible only for expenses such as travel, lodging, and meals/incidentals. G.R.E.A.T. grant funds may be used for these other expenses. Complimentary lunch will be provided on Wednesday and Thursday, and breakfast is complimentary on Friday.

Conference DetailsPlease share this announcement with others. In addition to G.R.E.A.T. officers, conference attendance is recommended for:School district personnel.Law enforcement administrators and practitioners.G.R.E.A.T. supervisors.School resource officers.

WesternRegion

Portland Police Bureau 449 NE Emerson St. Portland, Oregon 972111-800-823-7188 Fax (503) 823-4126

Regional Administator: Sergeant Frank GorgoneRegional Administrative Assistant: Narcisa Delgado-Grubb

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

No VioleNce is G.R.e.A.T.Crime prevention officers.Individuals representing youth-oriented programs.Legal and criminal/juvenile justice professionals.Community leaders.For more information about the hotels and conference schedule, please visit the G.R.E.A.T. Web site at www.great-online.org.

Summer Training Opportunities

G.R.E.A.T. Grant Management Workshops and G.R.E.A.T. Families Training sessions have been scheduled in each region as shown below. These trainings will be held the Monday and Tuesday prior to the regional training conferences.

G.R.E.A.T. Grant Management Workshop—This training encourages participants to think strategically about how they develop, administer, and fund their G.R.E.A.T. projects. It is particularly suited for those individuals whose agency has received or anticipates receiving G.R.E.A.T. grant funding from the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Participants are introduced to a variety of methods and tools used to write effective grant applications, identify community problems, administer and manage projects, and assess performance. Participants who would most benefit from this training are those who manage grant projects, are responsible for the fiscal management of grant funds, are responsible for the implementation and oversight of the G.R.E.A.T. project (e.g., G.R.E.A.T. officer supervisors or unit commanders), and are responsible for preparing the G.R.E.A.T. grant proposals and/or measuring the success of the project and reporting the project results.

G.R.E.A.T. Families Training—This training is offered to certified, active G.R.E.A.T. officers who want to teach the G.R.E.A.T. Families component. The G.R.E.A.T. Families component is a research-

based, family-strengthening program consisting of a six-session family curriculum and a family/community resource guide for G.R.E.A.T. facilitators. By linking a universal family curriculum to specialized family assistance resources, G.R.E.A.T. Families provides G.R.E.A.T. officers with the basic tools needed to work effectively with families and family service agencies.

Registration Information—Please note that registering for the conference does NOT register participants for this training. Visit the G.R.E.A.T. Web site at www.great-online.org for registration information for the above training opportunities.

SOUTHEAST REGIONJune 11−12, 2007Atlanta, GAMIDWEST REGIONJune 25−26, 2007Cleveland, OHSOUTHWEST REGIONJuly 9−10, 2007Albuquerque, NMWESTERN REGIONJuly 30−31, 2007Sacramento, CANORTHEAST REGIONAugust 13−14, 2007Hartford, CT

by being in contact with mostly criminals or victims. Second, I knew there were a lot more good kids out there than bad but due to the circumstances of the job I never had the opportunity to meet them. Last, the majority of the kids I was arresting or was in contact with as victims lacked positive role models and real-life leadership in their world. They were missing someone to represent integrity and compassion. I realized that from the kids’ point-of-view, I was often the enemy in a uniform. For my own sense of well-being and balance I decided to get involved in a different way. That is where prevention programs came in. Be it G.R.E.A.T., DARE or the Officer Friendly Program it does not really matter. Any program that gets us together with kids in a positive way is a good thing. While enforcement can be very satisfying, I now realize it is relationships that truly give cops their power and authority. G.R.E.A.T. is a tool that fosters and builds relationships that not only improves police-community relations but keeps all of us safe. To know us is to love us. It is really hard to disrespect and harm someone you know on a personal level. To me, G.R.E.A.T. and prevention programs like it are just another patrol tactic that keeps officers safe and fights crime often before it occurs.

Once again consider: What do you represent? Do you want to be one dimensional in your chosen profession? Do you want to represent a hammer and/or the enemy to the public? Wouldn’t you rather represent integrity, honesty, and professionalism? Our youth are bombarded on a daily basis with dangerous

and destructive influences. Our media displays human behavior at its worst and glamorizes anti-social and criminal conduct. From entertainers to sports figures, where have the positive role models gone? From film to music to video games, our youth are shown a life that more often than not represents unlawful, violent and self-serving behavior. Unfortunately, many of today’s youth see violence as entertainment and an acceptable way to solve life’s problems. Subsequently, they are desensitized to human pain and suffering and end up totally wanting in empathy, unable or unwilling to care about their actions or future consequences.

It would be easy to say, “Not my problem” or “What can I do?” and just continue the cycle of answering calls and locking people up. But one last time, consider: What do you represent? My challenge to you is simple and direct. Step up and represent the positive role model and community leader that you are. Use your training and experience, tempered with commonsense and compassion to be a real-life example to our youth. What do you want to represent?

Beyond GOT: Training for Veteran G.R.E.A.T. Officers

A new interactive and facilitated training program has been developed for G.R.E.A.T. officers. After two successful pilots, the G.R.E.A.T. Officer In-Service Training (GOI) will be presented in conjunction with each G.R.E.A.T. Regional Training Conference this summer.

The program is designed for seasoned, certified G.R.E.A.T. officers (with one or more years in the classroom) and is facilitated by National Training Team members. GOI

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

No VioleNce is G.R.e.A.T.Kids, Cops and the Community: What

Do You Represent?(by Sergeant F.R. Gorgone-Portland Police Bureau)

At least 40 hours a week you put on the body armor, the uniform, the gun belt, and a badge. Hopefully you do this with integrity, professionalism, and pride. You are the most public of public officials. Of all the people who represent their community, from elected officials on down, you as a Police Officer are regularly the first seen, first heard and often the first criticized and demonized by the very citizens you are sworn to protect. Often you are the only official representative of government the average person will ever meet. You can potentially shape that person’s life long perception of law enforcement by that one contact. Seems like a lot of weight for a lone officer to carry. Maybe so, but that is the reality of our profession. Knowing that, you need to consider this one question: What do you represent?

We start our police carrers trained and equipped for law enforcement and crime suppression. We all recieve a certain amount of job satisfaction from holding the bad guys accountable. That is a good thing and should never change. Unfortunately, after years of dealing with only suspects and victims our view of the world can become one dimensional and hardened. From my perspective, what is needed is balance. Balance for both law enforcement and the community. If the only tool you have is a hammer then everything becomes a nail. By adding prevention to our tool box we add depth and balance to what we represent. As a twenty year veteran of police work in two large cities, I have witnessed and benefited both personally and

professionally from prevention added to appropriate suppression.

Since 1995 I have taught Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) in Portland, Oregon’s middle schools. I did this while policing the same neighborhoods I taught in. Whether real or perceived, these parts of town have been and still are known as Oregon’s epicenter for youth gangs and violence. To many outsiders looking in, these neighborhoods represent poverty, crime and hopelessness. To many living in those very same neighborhoods the police represent the enemy, an oppressor and a hammer whose sole purpose is to smash them down and keep them down. By placing police in this one dimensional role it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out why there is so much hate and disrespect directed towards law enforcement. Through the G.R.E.A.T. Program I discovered a technique to help mitigate and sometimes remove the barriers between police and the public.

G.R.E.A.T. allowed and still allows me to see the youth of Portland through a different lens. Prior to becoming involved in school-based prevention programs, my exposure to the local kids was mostly negative. From runaways to cold-blooded killers my contacts with juveniles was limited to criminals, their shell shocked victims or kids watching me arrest one of the adults in their life.

Over time a few things dawned on me. First, my attitude towards not just the local youth but the human race in general was being seriously skewed

participants will help identify problems, issues, and concerns that they have experienced while administering and presenting the G.R.E.A.T. curricula in their schools and communities. Facilitators will present updates and information that pertains to the G.R.E.A.T. Program, as well as enhance and expand on topics originally covered in the G.R.E.A.T. Officer Training.

Participants in this 30-person class will be divided into small teams to better share information, experiences, knowledge, and methodology learned during their tenure as a G.R.E.A.T. officer. The officers also will benefit from the knowledge and experiences of the veteran facilitators. Topics that will be presented in the class include the new lesson “Transitioning From Officer to Educator,” classroom management, bullying, networking, children with special needs, gang updates, and updates on national and regional activities.

Participants in the GOI who live over 50 miles from the training site will have their lodging paid for by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. The GOI program is a separate event from the regional conference but will run simultaneously with the conference. Do not register for both the regional conference and the GOI.

Officers attending the conference or the GOI will have the opportunity to network at the breaks, luncheons, and after hours. Those officers eligible to attend the GOI must currently be certified G.R.E.A.T. officers with a minimum of one year of experience in delivering the G.R.E.A.T. curricula.

Dates, locations, applications, and instructions for the GOI can be obtained from the G.R.E.A.T. Web site at www.great-online.org. Officers should register in the region in which they reside. (Exceptions may be made for officers with extenuating circumstances; however, preference will be given to those who register in their own region.) The deadline for registration will be

30 days from the start of the GOI. The class will be limited to 30 participants. For any questions, please contact your Regional Administrator at the telephone number or e-mail address in this newsletter.

Sergeant Frank Gorgon- Regional AdministratorWestern Region G.R.E.A.T. Program1-800-823-7188 or 503-823-2111 - direct linegreat@portlandpolice.org

FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM THE WESTERN REGION

Graduation Certificate Order Forms at www.great-online.org

So far, so good…please remember to complete your Graduation Certificate Order Form and fax it to the Regional office 6 to 8 weeks prior to graduation. This will ensure you get your certificates on time and if you need additional certificates it will help to give us enough time to get them to you.

Remember the three types of certificates Elementary (E), Middle (M) and Families (F) are provided at no cost to the G.R.E.A.T. officers of their agencies. It is very essential to the national G.R.E.A.T. program that you track of the number of students or families that graduate. This information is important and needed for statistical purposes for the regional office.

PLEASE, even if you have a supply of certificates and do not need them from us, fill out your Graduation Certificate Order Form and write -STATS ONLY- then fax form to us, at 1-503-823-4126.

Feel free to call 1-800-823-7188 with any questions…We are here to help you.

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

No VioleNce is G.R.e.A.T.WE STAND UNITEDWORKING TOGETHER

FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR YOUTH

TELL US WHERE YOU STAND BY ENTERING THE G.R.E.A.T.SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS ESSAY CONTEST

On May 4, 2007 the students of the G.R.E.A.T. Program in Foster City, Modesto, Newark, Pescadero, Redwood City, Richmond, Sacramento, and San Francisco had the opportunity to participate in a San Francisco Giants game. An annual essay contest was held by the participating G.R.E.A.T. agencies and had specific requirements for the student essay writers. They were required to write on one of the following topics:1. Making My Community a G.R.E.A.T. Place - Describe what steps you would take to improve your community. Give examples of how your community has affected you and what you can do to make it a better place.

2. Why Violence and/or Gangs are not a Good LIFE Choice - Describe how violence and/or gangs can affect you, various aspects of your life, and your community. Present alternatives to violence and gangs and potential results of choosing alternatives.

- Minimum of 250 words / Maximum 500 words- Essays were typed or if handwritten, had to be neat and legible.- Essays were evaluated on content, grammar, and spelling.

75 essays were selected; selected writers:

- Recieved a ticket to a San Francisco Giants game- Attended a pre-game reception- Stood on the field and were introduced as winners of the essay contest and had a chance to be face to face

with the Giants- Had a chance to be one of the top winners or grand prize author and receive gift(s) from the Giants- Received special gifts from G.R.E.A.T.- Saw his/her name and quotes from their essays on the scoreboard!- Had the opportunity to be PROUD of their commitment to a brighter future and the positive impact they

had on others.

Does your agency have a G.R.E.A.T. vehicle that is used to promote the program to your community? On the following page is our 1991

G.R.E.A.T. Corvette Program car. The Corvette is a drug seized vehicle acquired in 1993 and has represented the program ever since. The car was

restored this spring and potentially will be seen throughout the Western Region. We would like to feature “Program Vehicles” in future issue of

the Western Region Newsletter. Please e-mail a photogragh(s) of the car in TIF of JPEG file format and a history of the vehicle to

Regional Administrative Assistant Narcisa Delgado-Grubb at: ndelgdo-grubb@portlandpolice.org

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

No VioleNce is G.R.e.A.T.This is an inspiring way that agencies are coming together in the Western Region to promote the program and encourage students to use the life skills learned in G.R.E.A.T.

The following officers coordinated and chaperoned this annual event. Their hard work and dedication made foran enjoyable evening of baseball and recognition, by the bay.

Corporal Tracy Avelar- Foster City Police Department Officer Eddie Russell-Richmond Police Department

Deputy Marcus Gathright-San Mateo County Sheriffs Office Officer Martha Delgado-Modesto Police Department

Officer Todd Hurst-Redwood City Police Department Officer Carson Thomas-Newark Police Department

Sergeant Charles Husted-Sacramento Police Department Officer Debra Neil-San Francisco Police Department

ATF Special Agent Paula Vallerga-San Francisco Field Office

Director of ATF Michael Sullivan (center left wearing blazer) and Steve Martin Special Agent In Charge-San Francisco Office surrounded by Bay Area G.R.E.A.T. students and their G.R.E.A.T. officers

WESTERN REGION - PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU1991 G.R.E.A.T. CORVETTE

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

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

On May 3, 2007, the Honolulu Police Department’s G.R.E.A.T. program held their annual graduation dance at the Neil Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. Attending this celebration were 2300 7th grade students from various middle schools on the island of Oahu. The master of ceremony for this special occasion was Hawaii’s legendary Mixmaster, KUTMASTER SPAZ. students dancED to his legendary stylE of mixing. At the graduation celebration, the Honolulu Police Department also displayed its recently purchased G.R.E.A.T. van.

FEATURED AGENCY:

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Honolulu Police Department recently purchased a Ford Panel van for its G.R.E.A.T. program. Vinyl wraps, featuring the G.R.E.A.T. logo over the Hawaiian state flag were added to the van’s exterior.

Pictured with the Honolulu Police Department’s new G.R.E.A.T. van are from left to right:Officer Wayne Anno, Officer Terrie Aguiar, Officer Rory Souza, and Sergeant Darin Evangelista.

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOING AN AWESOME JOB...OF GETT ING THE G.R.E.A.T. MESSAGE OUT TO THEIR STUDENTS.

SINCE 2004 , THEY HAVE GRADUATED 18,246 G.R.E.A.T. KIDS.