Area fifth graders benefit from L.E.A.D. Program

By Charlotte Underwood

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN. (WLAF)-  Hundreds of Campbell County Fifth graders recently completed the Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.) program.

The program “gives law enforcement the opportunity to build rapport with the students while they are at an impressionable age,” according to Campbell County Sheriff Wayne Barton.

The (L.E.A.D) program is a 10 week course taught to fifth graders by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Division.

The optional program has been taught for the last five years. Campbell County had 100 percent participation in the program from all fifth graders, according to Barton.

These students “receive a curriculum that is focused on life skills designed to prevent drug abuse,” according to the sheriff.

“The first seven weeks of the program focuses on life skills and making good choices such as in peer pressure situations. It doesn’t go into education about preventing drug use until week eight, nine and 10,” Barton said.  

The course has the double benefit of getting students familiar with the School Resource Officers (SRO) at their schools which helps SROs do their job better, while also teaching good life choices to the students.  

Barton congratulated Campbell County fifth graders on their completion of the Law Enforcement Against Drugs program and thanked the Campbell County School System for allowing his department to teach this program in the schools. It is a program that he taught himself when he was an SRO. “It’s a great program that I believe not only makes our students and schools better, but leads to a better community as a whole,” Barton said.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 12/22/2023-6AM)