The program focuses on presenting information on drug safety to students; a lesson that had not been brought to younger students until now.
“We just started the program, and it was all brought to us by Chief Ramos who gave us the idea. He saw Operation Detour which was for the older students sixth grade and up, and we didn’t have anything for the elementary kids so we sat down and we put together Operation Childproof,”said Border Patrol Agent Supervisor John Hayes.
Border Patrol Agent Yesenia Lutin said that many of the children have been exposed to situations involving drugs, and it was important to explain to them how to handle the situation.
“We currently have Operation Detour that we present to the junior high and high school, but we needed to target the younger kids so we had to kind of drop it down to their level so they can understand the difference between illegal drugs and legal drugs,” said Lutin. “They have to understand that they have to talk to an adult, and their parents, a nurse, or a doctor is the only one who can give them a prescription medication. They should know the difference between who is giving it to them, and if it’s okay to take it.”
EPISD Chief of Police Joe Ramos noticed the need for an initiative like Operation Childproof when he was assigned to work at elementary schools before he became chief.
“There was nothing really focusing on the younger grades. Meeting with the principals and parents, and dealing with the students at such a young age, we felt we needed a little bit of intervention at a younger age,” said Ramos. “Times are changing. We are seeing incidents not only here but everywhere else, and we really needed to focus on our children. I got together with Mr. Hayes here and over a simple conversation this program developed and hopefully it’ll continue.”
Pete Gallego Elementary School Principal Jose Villalobos fully supported the lessons taught to Leticia Perez’s third grade class.
“I think the younger the better. I truly enjoyed it and i think it would be great if all the elementary schools start doing that because again we are targeting younger kids, and i think we need to because these kids know more than what we think they do,” said Villalobos.