(LAMBTON COUNTY, ON) – The new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) KIDS (Knowledge, Issues, Decisions and Supports) Program is a timely and interactive way of engaging students in conversations about matters that are important to them.
The KIDS Program was developed by the OPP as a tool for officers to use to talk to young people about the decisions they may need to make and what supports are available to them. Officers are going face to face in classrooms with kids to share knowledge they might need when dealing with today’s issues, and to discuss the impact of their decisions.
When educators and police teamed up to create this program, their goal was clear. Connect frontline officers with kids, build positive relationships, reduce self-victimization and prevent crime. Police officers are using videos, workbooks and interactive games, to talk directly with kids about the law, drugs, mental health, online and social media issues and peer relationships.
OPP officers are rolling out the highly interactive KIDS Program in Grade Six classes across the province with great success, and Lambton County OPP will be offering the program to all schools in Lambton County before the end of the 2013 – 2014 school year.
Inspector Scott Janssens supports these types of interactions between officers and students. “The police are often the first responders when youth are in difficult situations. This program gives officers an opportunity to build a rapport with students and to interact with them in a safe, fun and inviting environment.â€Â