NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 19, 2007
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420
SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS GET “CHILD LURES PREVENTION” TRAINING
Okaloosa County School Resource officers are undergoing specialized
training. It would allow them to educate children on ways to protect themselves
from attempted sexual abuse, date rape, abduction, internet crime, drugs and
school violence.
The Child Lures Prevention Training is based on a sexual abuse and
abduction prevention program called “Think First and Stay Safe”. It
focuses on using age appropriate lesson plans to teach students about various
lures that sexual predators may use to approach children, including bribes,
pets, or affection.
The subject matter is modified to address the sophistication and maturity
of the students. The topics covered teach valuable life skills to help children
grades three and above recognize and avoid people, situations and decisions that
threaten their personal safety. Youngsters are reassured however that people who
prey on children are the exception.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris first learned of the program at
the Florida Sheriff’s Conference. After two Citrus County SRO’s made a
presentation on their award-winning crime prevention program, Sheriff Morris
invited them to Okaloosa County to train his agency’s school resource
officers. He says it appears to be a great tool to help keep our children safer.
If the program is implemented into local schools, it would likely be as a
pilot project initially.