And now something has: a drug-education program for youths, called Pathways, is being developed by the Mount Airy Police Department using a $5,000 grant from Bank of America.
“I had no idea about drugs,” Jones, a local employee of the bank, said Friday in summing up her knowledge of their presence in Mount Airy before participating in the Citizens Police Academy.
“It was an incredible eye-opening experience for me,” Jones added of what she learned from the annual academy, which gives local residents behind-the-scenes looks at various police operations through a series of sessions — including riding with patrol personnel.
One of those sessions was led by city narcotics officers, who told the group of the large quantities of drugs being trafficked into this area and the misery they are causing — not only for law enforcement but families.
Jones is a 2008 graduate of the Citizens Police Academy. And during a 12-month period preceding her enrollment, officers had issued 967 drug charges and seized 89 pounds of marijuana, 3 pounds of cocaine powder, 3 pounds of crack-cocaine, 44 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and more than 3,000 pills.
And that did not count the many more drugs and offenders police weren’t able to corral.
Jones, a learning consultant with Bank of America, called some of the revelations about local narcotics trafficking “unbelievable” — “just the extent of it; the extent of the drugs that come in and out of here.”
She said the academy experience left her with the belief that community residents need to take an active role in battling the problem. “Here’s obviously something we can do to help, because the Police Department can’t do it on its own,” she recalled thinking.
After meeting with Police Chief Roger McCreary and other department leaders, Jones’ desire to help soon was combined with efforts under way by police to launch the Pathways program in Mount Airy.
And knowing Bank of America has grants available to fund worthy community efforts, Jones worked through the Reeves Community Center Foundation in submitting a funding application to the bank, which was approved.
Prevention Is Key
Pathways is a preventative effort aimed at educating youths about the dangers of drugs “before they make the bad decisions,” explained Lt. Jim Armbrister of the Community Services Division of Mount Airy police.
Armbrister said Friday it is hoped the program will begin sometime next year.
Unlike the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) campaign that has operated in schools for years, Pathways is custom-designed to meet the specific needs of this community. Jones added that she appreciates the fact it doesn’t take the “cooker-cutter” approach of efforts such as DARE.
Using the $5,000 grant, an educational program will be developed that promotes drug-free lifestyles, academic improvement, lower dropout rates and decreased behavioral problems. The money will cover the costs of printing training materials, crime-prevention literature and promotional items to help maximize the program’s effectiveness.
Jones assembled a joint effort to further the program which includes the RCC Foundation, Reeves Community Center, city police and the Mount Airy school system.
Pathways will be implemented by law enforcement officers certified by the state as instructors, using lesson plans that are integrated with school and after-school activities, summer programs and community groups or organizations involving youths.
Preparation of the lesson plans has begun, with the majority of the material being developed by individuals trained as school resource officers who have years of experience working with and educating local youth, Stacy Inman and Kelly Hiatt of the department. The educational topics include character development, dealing with bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, driving to live, relationships (violence, dating, Internet safety), working to help others and being positive role models.
The program will become visible throughout the community through presentations to youth organizations and open sessions at Reeves Community Center, churches, social and other youth group settings. Public events and displays throughout the year will be used as mediums for distributing educational information and personal law enforcement contacts to help educate youths and parents to better combat the problem.
“It takes a community to raise a child,” Armbrister said, explaining that parents have responsibility for their children but society must deal with problems that arise.
“The Pathways program is really going to be excellent,” said Jones. She pointed out that along with addressing issues kids face at different grade levels, it will teach them the importance of police as friends in trying steer them onto the right “pathway” and away from drugs.
Jones, a former Boston resident who moved to Mount Airy in 2001, said, “I love living here. It’s a great community.”
She praised the caring attitude displayed by McCreary, Armbrister and Capt. Dale Watson in their attentiveness to her concerns and working to get the program started. “In a big city, it would be next to impossible to have that kind of access to work with someone.”
Jones said that along with the future of youth, she is concerned about economic development in this area, and to attract new companies here “we have to tackle things like drug abuse.”
Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.
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