G.R.E.A.T. Project, Provide Gang Resistance Training during school and during the summer.

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 County of Harnett will utilize G.R.E.A.T. funding to address the recent gang related issues that have been affecting the community. The G.R.E.A.T. program will be implemented as a collaborative effort between the Harnett County Sheriff's Office and Harnett County Schools. G.R.E.A.T. components will include: Middle School, Families, and Summer. The implementation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program will foster the following goals: enlist community support, create schools within schools for at-risk youth, and promote a positive school climate.

The G.R.E.A.T. middle school component will be implemented in four middle schools in the Harnett County Sheriff's Office area. This program will focus on at-risk youth in the area.

The G.R.E.A.T. families component will be offered at four middle schools twice a year in the fall and spring and serve 80 families. The School Resource Officer from each middle school will serve as the facilitator. The co-facilitator will be a G.R.E.A.T. family member. The priority candidates for this component are those students who are frequently involved in school suspension, disciplinary problems, and academic deficiencies.

The G.R.E.A.T. summer component will work in conjunction with the Harnett County Cooperative Extension. The Harnett County Cooperative Extension will host a Support Our Students 4-H summer camp. The summer camp will be held at the Police Athletic League in Dunn, NC. This program will include 30 students. The Harnett County Extension will also host "Summer Fun" one week camps that include the following locations: Brookside Apartment Complex, Coats-Erwin Middle School, and Shawtown Alumni Center. Each site has observable signs of gang presence that is evident by graffiti. This program will be targeted to the most at-risk youth and marketed to the faith-based community, juvenile court counselors, the Governor's One-on-One Volunteer Program, and school guidance counselors. Field trips will also be incorporated and will include trips to colleges, fire departments, and police departments. Guest speakers will feature business owners, college students, and political figures.

The Harnett County Sheriff's Office works in collaboration with both state and neighboring local law enforcement agencies, Board of Education, the District Attorney's Office, the faith-based community, and other local agencies. A task force meets monthly to address gang-related issues, initiatives, and programmatic needs. The task force has representatives from the Highway Patrol, local police departments, the District Attorney's Office, ATF, Probation Office, Juvenile Justice, Department of Corrections, and Harnett County Jail. Other collaborations include the Harnett County Sheriff's Office sponsored gang awareness sessions to county employees, local agencies, and non profit programs at the Harnett County Department of Social Services.

CA/NCF