Funds Sought to Battle Drug Abuse by Students
The Police Department is seeking a $100,000 state grant that would help law enforcement and school officials fight drug, alcohol and tobacco use by students.
If funding is approved, a full-time officer trained in community policing and narcotics investigations would be assigned for at least a year to Anaheim High and nearby junior and elementary schools, Police Chief Randall Gaston said.
The officer’s duties would include identifying and arresting students who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and monitoring the progress of at-risk youth placed in intervention programs.
The officer would also educate teachers, parents and students about the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use.
“We’ve already seen a considerable amount of success with early intervention,” Gaston said.
Under the program, which the City Council authorized last week, contingent on winning the grant, a panel would identify the needs of students in the targeted schools. The Police Department and the Anaheim Union High School District are co-applicants for the grant.
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