Pubdate: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 Source: Marco Island Sun Times (FL) Copyright: 2006sMarco Island Sun Times Contact: http://www.marcoislandflorida.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3427 Author: Daniel Winningham STUDENTS' PLEDGE: 'WE WILL STAY DRUG FREE' More than 350 students at Tommie Barfield Elementary School and Marco Island Charter Middle School recently made a pledge to remain drug free. On Oct. 12, fourth- and fifth-grade students at TBE and MICMS students participated in Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide activity that gives students a chance to take a positive step toward eliminating abusive drugs in their lives. The week devoted to drug-free activities actually is Oct. 23 to 29, but due to scheduling conflicts, the event was held early. Marco Island Police Officer Jennifer Lofy organized the inaugural event for island students in conjunction with the Collier County Sheriff's Office. Members of the Marco Island Police Foundation donated ribbons for the program and volunteered during the day. After completing a contract with a pledge to not use drugs, students used permanent markers to sign their name to a squad car as part of their drug-free agreement. Students were then given red badges as a reminder to remain drug-free. "As law enforcement officials, we are committed to the identification and suppression of drug abuse, particular by in children," Marco Island Police Chief Roger Reinke said in a letter sent home to all parents of students that attend TBE. Reinke specifically told the parents they play a vital role in helping the program be a success. "Your support is imperative if our efforts are to succeed," he noted. In order to better equip parents, the police department has provided drug testing kits, which are available at the police department and at Mackle Park. The Collier County Sheriff's Office does a lot of prevention-type programs, Lofy said. However, in the past, Marco Island hasn't had much involvement with those activities. "I don't think Marco has had the opportunity in the past to do a lot of this stuff," she added. Schools in the Naples area tend to get more involved with special programs with the CCSO, due to their proximity. A federal organization called the National Family Partnership began the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign in 1988. The program began as a tribute to Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who worked for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was killed in 1985. Neighbors and friends of the slain proponent of drug prevention began wearing red badges as a tribute. "I'm only one person, but I can make a difference." Camarena uttered this phrase when he told his mother he was accepting a job with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The National Family Partnership was created in 1980 by parents throughout the United States to combat increased drug use, according to the organization's Web site, located at www.nfp.org. The mission of the National Family Partnership is "to lead and support our nation's families and communities to nurture the full potential of a healthy, drug-free youth." For more information, visit their Web site at www.drugfree families.com. Lofy's new role In August, Lofy began her new role as a crime prevention officer at TBE and MICMS. She hopes her time at the school can improve children's perceptions of police officers. Lofy's presence at the school is geared toward a positive outlook, reinforcing the students and letting them know there's a Marco police officer on hand. "It's all supposed to be for positiveness," Lofy said. "It's not supposed to be, 'Well, I'm here to arrest everyone.' The whole concept is for the kids to see a Marco Island police officer." For most of the students at TBE, the only time they see an officer is during the D.A.R.E. program, in which an officer from the CCSO teaches fourth-graders about the dangers of drug use. Being in and around the schools should go a long way toward boosting the department's relationship with children, Lofy said. "In the past, it's always been if we stopped a kid, it was for something negative or if we had an encounter with a kid, most of the time it was negative," Lofy said. She added that she doesn't see children just at the school. "Those kids I also see out at Mackle Park, I see riding their bikes around," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine