Port St. Lucie Police Dept - GREAT Program

The Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program is a life-skills competency program designed to provide students with the skills they need to avoid gang pressure and youth violence. G.R.E.A.T.'s violence prevention curriculum helps students develop values and practice behaviors that will assist them to avoid destructive activities. The G.R.E.A.T. program coordinates with federal, regional, state and local agencies, as well as individuals from community and civic groups. The goal of the G.R.E.A.T. program is to train law enforcement officers in a school-based curriculum in which the officers provide instruction to school-aged children in life skill competencies, gang awareness, and anti-violence techniques. Training in the core G.R.E.A.T. program is provided to officers from any state or local law enforcement agency.

The City of Port St. Lucie will use the Fiscal Year 2007 award to implement the G.R.E.A.T. Families Component, continue the G.R.E.A.T. Program in all middle schools within the City, and train four (4) new School Resource Officers to be G.R.E.A.T.-certified. In collaboration with the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, the grantee will serve approximately 2,600 7th grade students that go to school within the City of Port St. Lucie. The program is expected to support the local school district's goal of academic achievement and school safety through the establishment of early intervention for gang problems and providing awareness and education in preventing gang involvement and participation.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department's (PSLPD) G.R.E.A.T. Families Component will be offered twice a year to all City residents. PSLPD will work with the restorative justice program to offer this program to teens and their families who have sanctions, making participation a part of the sanctions. Grant funds will be utilized to fund overtime for G.R.E.A.T. Officers participating in the Family Component; travel costs associated with the training of four new G.R.E.A.T. Officers and attendance of certified officers at the G.R.E.A.T. Conference(s); equipment purchases; food for the Families Component; and, supplies to support the proposed grant activities.

CA/NCF