Sheriff's Office launches TIM program in elementary schools; teaches students how to handle stresses of today's society
McDowell County Sheriff’s Office school resource officers (SROs) are taking steps to educate elementary school students on how to handle the problems that plague youngsters in today’s society.
The program is called TIM – Teaching students lifesaving lessons, Improving their quality of life and Maintaining a safe learning environment – which is named after Tim Duncan, a dedicated McDowell County law enforcement officer who lost his life in an off-duty accident in 2008. Duncan spent a good portion of his career teaching DARE in McDowell County schools.
“The creation and implementation of the TIM program are great ways to pay tribute and to honor a man that gave so much to the kids of McDowell County,” said Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ricky Buchanan, who, along with SRO Sgt. Steve Hensley, created TIM. “He made a positive, lasting impact on children’s lives. Tim was a dedicated husband, father and law enforcement officer and loved his ‘kids’ in the schools … and they loved him. He was very dedicated and passionate about his role in the schools and making a difference in many kids’ lives.”
Sheriff Dudley Greene and the Substance Abuse Committee of the McDowell County Health Coalition contributed to the development of the program. Buchanan is the chairman of the committee. McDowell County Schools’ administrators allowed the program to be presented.
TIM will be geared toward kindergarten and fifth-grade students.
There will be two presentations to kindergarteners, each lasting 15 to 20 minutes, dealing with 1). Introduction to law enforcement officers and to law enforcement equipment, gun safety and treating all guns as if they are loaded and 2). How to deal with strangers and not putting unknown substances in our mouths.
Fifth-graders will get five presentations, all about 45 minutes in length, concerning 1). Introduction to law enforcement officers and to law enforcement equipment and a TIM video (specific to Duncan, his career and dedication to children in McDowell County and a video message from Duncan’s widow, Jamie Duncan Allison), 2). Dangers of legal and illegal drugs, 3). Bullying and social media warnings, 4). Gun safety and violent video gaming and 5). Role models (a group of McDowell High students, chosen by the staff, and community members, chosen by SROs) who demonstrate a positive outlook on life and have successful careers.
“Awareness and education to the children of McDowell County, specifically the kindergarten and fifth-grade levels, could possibly prevent another Columbine massacre, prevent another unintentional drug overdose, another unintentional shooting death from playing with a firearm or another school shooting from a student that is tired of being picked on and being made fun of or just because they are looking at life like a video game,” said Buchanan.
Sheriff’s Office administrators recently visited with JoAnne Graham’s fifth-grade class at Old Fort Elementary School while SRO Sgt. Steve Hensley taught the students about the dangers of legal drugs (tobacco, alcohol and prescription medication) and illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine).
“I want to get your attention,” Hensley told the students. “I want you to see what drugs can do.”
Hensley showed photos of the effects of methamphetamine on the mouth and skin.
“Meth makes you look like a zombie. It makes you look so much older,” said Hensley. “It’s actually slowly killing those people.”
He also had a message about legal drugs: If you don’t know what it is, don’t take it.
“Don’t be so curious that you go through your parents’ medicine cabinet and take something because it is cool and then you take some to your buddies. It can kill you.
“Cool is being your own person and saying ‘no.’”
Address/Location
McDowell County Sheriff's Office
593 Spaulding Rd
Marion, NC 28752
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 828-652-2235
Richelle Bailey
McDowell County Sheriff's Office
[email protected]
828-652-2235
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