Garland G.R.E.A.T. 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 Garland has adopted a two-fold approach to address these issues. First, the Garland Police Department established a gang unit to specifically seek out and identify members and target gang-related crimes. The Gang Unit created a certification report to identify gang members. This report has become an effective tool for police agencies across the nation to address their gang concerns. The second approach is the police department's commitment to address gangs, drugs, and crime issues with early intervention through education, interaction and prevention, primarily through the School Resource Officer Program (SRO). Each officer and supervisor is certified as an SRO and G.R.E.A.T. Officer. The school system has one officer in each high school (5), one in each middle school (9) and one officer assigned to five elementary schools (7). In addition, one officer is assigned to each of the alternative education centers (2). Officers will implement all four components of the G.R.E.A.T. program: (1) Middle School Component (13-week core/mandatory curriculum); (2) Elementary Component (4th grade); (3) Families Component (6 lessons); and (4) Summer Component (4th thru 12th grade). The project expects to serve 4,298 fourth graders, 3,831 sixth graders, more than 300 youth in summer camps, and 15 families.

CA/NCF