Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/09/2008

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Hilary Moores - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine M. Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DISTRICT ATTORNEY LAUNCHES GANG PREVENTION
PROGRAM IN SONOMA VALLEY

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today a new partnership with the Sonoma Police Department, and the Valley of the Moon Boys and Girls Club in presenting Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) to 4th and 5th grade students in Sonoma Valley. Prosecutors, in collaboration with the Sonoma Police Department, will present the curriculum in one hour weekly sessions over the course of 7 weeks at the Valley of the Moon Boys and Girls Club. The program started on October 8, 2008 and will be presented each Wednesday afternoon.

"The most important work in public safety is related to crime prevention," District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua said. "The G.R.E.A.T. program is a way to mentor our community's children and help them make the right choices so they can become productive adults. The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office is proud to be a catalyst for positive education and crime prevention in conjunction with the Sonoma Police Department and the Boys and Girls Club.”

District Attorney Passalacqua further stated, “We are pleased to be working with Chief Brett Sackett and the Boys and Girls Club Executive Director David Pier on this important outreach to teach youth positive behaviors, help them resist peer pressure and give them alternative solutions to violence and gang membership.”

The G.R.E.A.T. program is an innovation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) designed to train law enforcement agencies in partnering with communities and schools to provide adolescents information and skills to make responsible decisions in their formative years. The District Attorney’s Office is the first DA’s office nationwide to have its prosecutors and investigators trained and certified to present this program. Last fall, the District Atttorney’s Office successfully presented a pilot program to the Santa Rosa Boys and Girls Club. Earlier this year, District Attorney Passalacqua and Police Chief Sackett decided to collaborate and reach out to youth in Sonoma Valley by bringing this program to the Boys and Girls Club. Discussions also are under way to bring this program to the Petaluma Boys and Girls Club.

The goal of the G.R.E.A.T. Program is to help youth develop positive life skills that will help them avoid gang involvement and violent behavior. G.R.E.A.T. uses a community-wide approach to combat the risk factors associated with youth involvement in gang-related behaviors. The curriculum was developed through the collaborative efforts of experts in public safety and specialists in criminology, sociology, psychology, education, and health. The lessons are interactive and designed to allow students to practice positive behaviors that will remain with them throughout their developmental years. Participating students will graduate from the program with a certificate of completion and celebrate with a pizza party.