Program pays students to turn in drug, gun users

Josey1

Program pays students to turn in drug, gun users By: ROBYN HARTSHORN, Staff writer September 05, 2001 Local school districts are attacking the drug and gun control problem with a new approach: hard-core cash. Carroll ISD is participating in a new program, which will reward students $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals possessing, buying or selling any illegal drug or gun on the campus of Carroll High School. The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, which includes Colleyville Heritage and Grapevine high schools, also is participating.Local business owner Dennis Carpenter, who is a member of the Partners in Excellence Committee for the G-CISD, is providing the reward money. He is the president of International Wealth Management in Grapevine, which specializes in "biblically based planning."The advertisement for the reward, which asks to contact the Tarrant County Campus Crimestoppers to report an offense, is in the high schools' football programs. Carpenter said he wanted to support the school districts in some way in terms of advertising dollars for the football programs, but didn't just want to advertise his company."So we thought, how about taking a cause that would help the students, faculty and school administration in making the school safer," he said.Carpenter approached CHHS principal Marlin Stanberry with his idea of offering a reward to students who could help tackle drugs in their schools. This is the third year the program has been active, but the first year Carroll has participated. Carpenter said when Stanberry first thought of the idea three years ago, Stanberry loved the idea, but asked Carpenter if he would be willing to offer a reward not only for drugs, but for guns too."You could have knocked me over with a feather when he brought up the issue of guns," said Carpenter, admitting that he had the "post-Columbine" attitude, saying "that doesn't happen here."Carpenter said he is hopeful that by offering the reward money, it will deter students' minds in choosing to use drugs and bring guns to school."That's the idea we want the kids to have," he said. "Eliminating it from their minds, much like the idea of teen sex and promoting 'sexual-abstinence.' ""We realize that we are powerless to control some of these things," Carpenter said. "But at least maybe we can provide some incentive where we don't want those activities to take place on our campuses."Carpenter said the incentive program is designed not only for the students, but also for the teachers and administration. "The less time they have to spend patrolling the students, the more time they can spend teaching," he said.Carpenter said the responses from the students have been positive. "If I saw someone with drugs on my campus, I would think about turning them in, but if I knew there was a $1,000 reward, you can bet I would turn them in," he said of one student's response. In response to the question of whether or not students may be hesitant to report an offense, in fear of "ratting out on their friends," Carpenter said the converse is true. He said he has heard that students instead are actually trying "to set their friends up." Students are bringing drugs to school with them, "planting" them on their friends and then turning them in."The power of the dollar will at times persuade some people's character to some degree," Carpenter said. In measuring the success of the program, Carpenter said he is torn between how this would be determined."We don't people to draw conclusions and say, 'well, if a lot of money is being paid out for the rewards, then it must be successful,' or vice versa," he said."The focus should be: there is a reward and if you are going to carry, buy, sell or possess illegal guns or drugs on campus, there is a strong likelihood that you are going to get turned in."Contact staff writer Robyn Hartshorn at 972-538-2118, or at robynhartshorn@hotmail.com.

badboybob

Nothing new here. Just another idea borrowed from the USSR

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So many guns to buy. So little money.