Broward County Sheriff's Office G.R.E.A.T. Project

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 curricula help students develop values and practice behaviors that will help them avoid destructive activities. G.R.E.A.T. program staff coordinate project activities with federal, regional, state, and local agencies, as well as individuals from community and civic groups. The goal of the program is to train criminal justice professionals to deliver a school-based curriculum that teaches life-skills competencies, gang awareness, and violence-avoidance techniques.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) will use its FY 2008 G.R.E.A.T. award to implement the elementary school, middle school, summer and families components. The continuation of the BSO G.R.E.A.T. program will focus on providing life skills to students to deter them from delinquent behavior and negative associations by gang membership. Experienced officers will be utilized to provide positive role models in presenting alternatives to the lifestyle of gangs, in addition to teaching problem-solving skills, the ability to work well with others, making conscious decisions to avoid destructive behaviors, and choosing positive friends. The middle school component will be implemented in 18 of the middle schools that are served by the agency. The elementary school component will be implemented in 30 of the elementary schools serviced by BSO. The summer component will serve 70 high-risk youth who are referred to the program by school administrators, school guidance counselors, and BSO's School Resource Deputies. The families component will include two six-week sessions consisting of weekly meetings. Family-certified deputies will host these meeting with eight families of high-risk youth who will be referred to the program by school staff and/or community partners. The program's primary goal is to address and prevent youth crime, violence, and gang involvement; create safer school and community environments; increase exposure of youth to a positive perception of law enforcement; and strengthen families through the engagement of parents and youth by developing better communication and decision-making skills.

CA/NCF