Gang Resistance Education And Training

Gang Resistance Education And Training or G.R.E.A.T., is a school based, law enforcement taught classroom curriculum.  The program’s primary objective is prevention and teaches life skills that help immunize students against youth violence, delinquency and gang involvement.  The program also works as an effective bridge between police and the community’s youth, allowing relationships to be forged that extend outward from the school into your cities or towns neighborhoods.

Trained, uniformed police officers present the G.R.E.A.T. Program in a classroom setting.  They deliver the 13 week curriculum to middle school students, facilitating a wide range of activities, that result in the necessary life skills, a sense of competency, usefulness, and personal empowerment needed to avoid involvement in youth violence and criminal activity.

The program is designed to help middle school students become responsible members of their communities, by setting goals for themselves, resisting pressures, learning how to resolve conflicts and understanding how gangs impact the quality of their life. G.R.E.A.T. culminates with a certificate of graduation, a new philosophical outlook towards police, and the tools needed to resist gang pressure. 

Gang Resistance Education And Training
Western Region Training

The Portland Police Bureau was chosen by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as headquarters for the G.R.E.A.T. Program's Western Region, which is one of five regional training sites in the U.S. Our region covers ten states; Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii . The Western Region training site offers training several times a year to police officers that want to teach the G.R.E.A.T. curriculum in the schools. These specially trained officers provide elementary and middle school students with the information and skills necessary to say "No" to gangs, to resolve conflict without the use of violence, and to set positive goals for themselves.

The G.R.E.A.T. Western Region has held many training sessions, and trained hundreds of police officers throughout the United States, including military police in the states, Germany, and Japan , and also Canadian Police Officers.

We would love the opportunity to tell you more about the G.R.E.A.T. Program and how you as police officers can be involved, on-duty, and still work in your current assignment. The biggest benefit is the satisfaction of youth crime prevention and increased positive attitudes of youth toward police. Additionally, there is potential for travel if you progress on to membership on the National Training Team. Not only do we need more instructors, but we also need more trainers for our G.R.E.A.T. Officer Training (GOT's).

Western Region G.R.E.A.T. training opportunities:

For the most up to date training schedule please visit the National G.R.E.A.T. web page at, http://www.great-online.org/Program/TrainingSchedules.Aspx. It should be noted that the National Training Team will come to your area if the demand warrants it. (20 or more Officers to be trained)

 

If you are interested in being trained as a G.R.E.A.T. Officer, please contact the Western Regional Administrator, Lt. Robert Heimbach at: 800-823-7188.

 

To order G.R.E.A.T. graduation certificates, please call: 800-823-7188.

 

For additional information about the G.R.E.A.T. program, please visit: www.great-online.org

 

G.R.E.A.T. Program Federal Partners:

 

	U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance
	U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
	U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives