Oregon: Police officer receives award

An officer of the Oregon Police Division has been chosen as Ohio Instructor of the Year by Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence, a nationwide nonprofit organization that works with communities to help students understand the dangers of drug abuse and violence.
Sara Shaw was presented the award at LEADs annual 21st Century Drug and Violence Prevention Training Conference in Orlando, Florida.
“We congratulate office Shaw on her outstanding job helping to bridge the gap between the police officers and community in Oregon. Her award is well deserved,” said Nick DeMauro, CEO of the organization. “Officer Shaw’s dedication towards teaching children about the importance of drug and violence preventions is helping us to continue to accomplishing our goal of advancing police-community relationships.”
The program is taught by more than 5,000 trained instructors in 45 states who are serving more than 500,000 students in 2,500 school systems. The lead curriculum is taught as a 10-week program to educate youths on how they can make smart decisions without the involvement of drugs or violence.
In Oregon, the program is taught to 475 students in the fifth and sixth grades in the city school district and to 40 middle school-aged students and 18 high school students at Cardinal Stritch High School and Academy.
Office Shaw has been an instructor for three years.
“We’re having purposeful conversations with the kids about how to communicate with their peers inside and outside of the classroom,” she said. “Also, they’re being taught how to deal with their anger when they have it, and they’re learning what’s appropriate and what’s not when it comes to alcohol, drugs, and violence.
“I don’t know how we’d be able to touch on all these critical topics without having the opportunity to teach LEAD. The program is beautifully designed, and the layout of the curriculum flows perfectly, which makes it much easier to get through to the students in a meaningful way.”
Shaw said she’s noticed a change in the demeanor of students as they get involved in the program activities.
“Seeing some of the kids who are on the shyer side begin to engage more in the games and skits, due to being uplifted and inspired by those who are more comfortable getting involved, is a very enriching feeling,” she said. “I’ve noticed that the children come up and talk to me when they see me in the hallways a lot more than they used to, before I started teaching the LEAD program. I believe this is due to showing a lighter side of myself and being more vulnerable with the kids, something I wouldn’t have been able to do without LEAD. Connecting with the students has helped to strengthen the ties that not only the school children but the rest of the folks in the community have with our police department.”