GREAT program is great!

Gerry Leone, the Middlesex County District Attorney, spoke out last week about how wonderful and effective he believes the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program is. Police officers lead and teach through GREAT, and they are thoroughly trained to preach good decision-making and prevention of risky behavior, like drug use, violence, and gang membership. I think this program is being taught at a very appropriate time (in 8th grade). These kids (specifically in this article, they referred to Ashland) are about to enter high school, which is a time of tremendous change, both socially and mentally. They need to have a strong sense of knowing what's right and wrong, and what's going to keep them from behavior that will only harm others. I think this program should definitely be extended to city schools, where youth violence is much more prevalent.

Full article from the Metro West Daily News here