I want to share with you some snapshots of proactive law enforcement.

Here’s one of Jason Tutterow when he was the school resource officer at Whitewater High. In this picture, he’s arresting a student who brought several guns and other weapons to school.

In this next photo, the lady surrounded by all the children hugging her is Deborah Hannah. She has been a DARE officer at the elementary schools for years. Fifth-graders she warned about the dangers of drugs are now grown and have families of their own.

Look at this one. It was taken at the Senior Walk last spring at Starr’s Mill High. See all those graduating seniors talking to the school resource officer? They’re telling Dave McNaughton how much he has meant to them.

Here’s one that was taken at Fayette Middle School. The teacher is really a police officer. J.D. Lakeman is teaching eighth graders about the criminal justice system. This next snapshot shows Kay Crider at McIntosh teaching a similar class.

The crying girl in this next picture just told her school counselor that she is being molested at home. The deputy comforting her is Renee McCollum, the school resource officer. Renee will later testify at trial and the molester will go to prison.

I could go on and on. You could share many similar observations.

Next fall, the Fayetteville Police Department will place an officer in each of the two Fayetteville middle schools. They will teach G.R.E.A.T. classes designed to discourage our children from joining gangs. Like the school resource officers and DARE officers, they will be investing in our children.

We can’t thank them enough.