Prevention Works

WHAT’S YOUR RESOLUTION?

We all know the drill. 2010 is coming to a close and right about now is the time for those beloved, yet often-forgotten New Year’s resolutions. Lose those last five (or fifty) pounds, quit smoking, work less, play harder; whatever your vice is,  now is the time to choose to get rid of it and move forward! The season is alive and well with goal-driven energy and it is only right that we make the best of it.

Though most resolutions are motivated by personal reward, why not try something new this year and consider not only how you can help yourself but also how you can support your local community and address an issue that is a concern for everyone. Ask yourself in 2011, what can I do to prevent crime in my community? What can I do to help the youth I pass everyday stay out of trouble? Even the smallest acts of service are effective in crime prevention. To help get you started, try some of these ideas:

• Become more active in the community by participating in or starting a Neighborhood Watch program
• Ensure your children know how to handle bullying situations. You can watch NCPC’s “Samantha’s Choice” video for a simple conversation-starter
• Volunteer at a community center to conduct activities for youth

Whatever activity you choose, make sure to engage your own interests so that it is fun for you. As many of us know, it’s easier to stick to those resolutions that we find enjoyable. The important thing to remember is that the new year is a new opportunity to do something bigger and better than we did before and what better way to start the year off right than to do our part to prevent crime and be the change we want to see in society.

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

As we begin the month of December the first thing we think of and hear is Holiday music, it is the start of a festive month when office parties are held and we gather with friends and family to celebrate; and December ends with the New Year celebration, makes December probably the biggest alcohol consumption month of the year.  It is also the month that has been designated as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month to bring awareness to the national problem of driving while impaired with alcohol and/or drugs.

 Having been involved in law enforcement most of my adult life; I have seen firsthand the horrors caused by drunk/drugged drivers where innocent people are hurt or, even worse, killed by someone who was driving while impaired.  One case I remember was a young girl who was involved in a drunken driving accident in which an individual left a local bar, where he had spent several hours consuming alcohol, got in his vehicle and drove home. During his drive of less than a mile, he made an improper turn right into the path of the girl’s vehicle and caused a serious accident. Luckily no one was seriously injured or killed but it caused a lot of damage and could have been much worse. The individual was charged with drunk driving, it was his third charge in as many years and he lost his license for nine months and was fined several hundred dollars. The young lady walked away with scrapes and bruises but had great difficulty getting behind the wheel for a long time. As with all drunk/drugged drivers it could have been avoided but the person chose to operate his vehicle rather than have someone pick him up or take a cab the short distance he had to go. This incident, and thousands more like it or worse happen all over the country every year, the only difference with this one, it involved my daughter.

So, as the holidays approach and the festivities begin, use good judgment if you are going to partake in an alcoholic beverage. Even better, why not make this an alcohol free season? If you do drink, please don’t drive. Have a designated driver, call a cab or, better yet, have a nonalcoholic drink instead. Yes, have a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and remember that the life you save may be your own or some innocent family or friend.