THE  G.R.E.A.T.  PROGRAM

Currently the Brockton Police Department has 5 SRO/GREAT Officers.

Officer Minirva (Rosie) Vazquez-Browne
      West Jr. High School
Officer Nancy Leedberg
      East Jr. High School
Officer Raymond Parrett
      South Jr. High School
Officer Frank Baez
      North Jr. High School

1. THE HISTORY OF GREAT

Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) began in 1991 when representatives of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (A.T.F.) contacted various agencies in the Phoenix, Arizona area with the intent of fostering interest in designing and implementing a gang resistance program.

The Phoenix Police Department, in cooperation with surrounding Police Agencies, developed a curriculum based upon the goal of reducing gang involvement. 

To date, thousands of Officers representing jurisdictions from though out the United States have been trained to present the core curriculum in classrooms.

2. PHILOSOPHY

The program is designed to help students become responsible members of their communities by setting goals for themselves, resisting pressure, learning how to resolve conflicts, and understanding how gangs effect the quality of their lives. GREAT is a nine week program, culminating with a certificate of completion, representing a new philosophical outlook concerning gang activity and the intent to use the tools which were learned to resist gang pressure.

3. THE GREAT PROGRAM IN BROCKTON

Brockton started the GREAT Program in the spring of 1996.

We currently have five officers trained through the GREAT Program and the School Resource Officers Program. These officers will be conducting the program in all four of our junior high schools at the seventh grade level during school year as well as a third grade component taught by Officer Carr. They will have over one thousand students through the course of this year.

The officers enjoy city wide support, the school department has been enthusiastic and cooperative, the mayor, school committee, and city council all are behind the program.

The Chief of Police Paul Studenski is committed to the program as evidenced by his willingness to implement the program in a department that is considerably short staffed and with limited resources.

G.R.E.A.T. CURRICULUM

• Welcome to G.R.E.A.T.
  • Program introduction
  • Relationship between gangs, violence, drugs and crime
• What's the real deal?
  • Message analysis
  • Facts and fiction about gangs and violence
• It's about us
  • Community rolls and responsibility
  • What you can do about gangs
• Where do we go from here?
  • Setting realistic and achievable goals
• Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
  • G.R.E.A.T. decision-making model
  • Impact of decisions on goals
  • Decision-making practice
• Do you hear what I am saying?
  • Effective communication
  • Verbal versus nonverbal
• Walk in someone else's shoes
  • Active listening
  • Identification of different emotions
  • Empathy for others
• Say it like you mean it
  • Body language
  • Tone of voice
  • Refusal skills practice
• Getting along without going along
  • Influences, peer pressure and refusal skills practice
• Keeping your cool
  • G.R.E.A.T. anger management tips
  • Practice cooling off
• Keeping it together
  • Recognizing anger in others
  • Tips for calming others
• Working it out
  • Consequences for fighting
  • G.R.E.A.T. tips for conflict resolution
  • Conflict resolution practice
  • Where to go for help
• Looking back
  • Program review
  • "Making my school G.R.E.A.T." Project

NOTE:
Some of our GREAT Officers have also been trained in Operation Life Saver. Operation Lifesaver is a national, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way