Stewart County Students To Participate In "Successful Tips For Youth On Law Enforcement Encounters"

LUMPKIN:  Stewart County Middle School students will participate in a program designed to teach them how to have positive encounters with law enforcement on Friday, February 23, 2018.  “Successful Tips for Youth on Law Enforcement Encounters” (STYLE) is a program developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to bridge the gap between our youth and our law enforcement community.

In order to foster positive relationships in our community, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia has partnered with the Columbus Field Office of the FBI, the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office, the Lumpkin Police Department and the Richland Police Department to host this youth program for students. 

In addition to building relationships, the program is designed to teach our youth how to have a positive encounter with law enforcement, if ever faced with such a situation.

The program consists of various mock scenarios that mirror a potential traffic stop, a home encounter, and a street encounter. The various scenarios have been carefully designed to show our youth both the right and wrong way of dealing with law enforcement.

The students are also provided with a demonstration of use of force scenarios, which allow them to see the split-second decisions that law enforcement officers often face.

Next, the students are able to engage our law enforcement during a roundtable discussion. During this time, students and law enforcement get to know each other, and discuss the scenarios in further detail.

Finally, students are equipped with an understanding of the proper way to file a civil rights complaint should they feel their rights were violated during a law enforcement encounter.

S.T.Y.L.E. is an element of the Middle District’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.  PSN is a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

For further information, contact Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, at 478-731-1824 or pam.lightsey@usdoj.gov (link sends e-mail).