Nabbed for doing the right thing
Roselle police Sgt. Dave Hourigan can't wait to issue tickets to Lake Park High School students.
But he doesn't want to nab them for breaking the law. He's hoping to catch them obeying it.
"This is a good kind of ticket to get," he said.
Hourigan has joined forces with members of the high school's Students Against Destructive Decisions group to form a new Safety Incentive Program.
Students are encouraged to sign a contract that promises they won't make destructive decisions. That means remaining free from alcohol and drugs, never driving under the influence or with an impaired driver and always wearing a seat belt.
Police recently started patrolling both Lake Park campus parking lots. A student caught wearing their seat belt automatically will be given a raffle ticket. A student not wearing their seat belt will be reminded of the law.
"It's rewarding those who do the right thing," said Dan Olandese, a teacher and East Campus sponsor of the program.
But it also gives an incentive to those students who may be inclined to do wrong, he added.
The high school will conduct a monthly or weekly raffle drawing and give away a variety of prizes. They include a number of items donated by local businesses, such as gift cards to restaurants, fitness centers, theaters and passes for movies. The grand prize -- provided by Friendly Ford in Roselle -- will be a $5,000 college scholarship or a credit toward the purchase of a car.
Each student who receives a ticket will be entered into the raffle, but a student must have a Contract for Life on file with the school to qualify. The contract must be signed by both the student and their parent or legal guardian.
"It serves to open the lines of communication between parents and kids," Hourigan said.
The contract is available at the high school's student services office or online at www.lphs.org. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about destructive decisions before signing the contract.
"If it helps one or two kids by not getting behind the wheel with a drunk driver … we're doing our job," Olandese said.
One of the stipulations of the contract is that a student pledges to contact their parent if they find themselves in a situation where they have been drinking and cannot find sober transportation home. The parent agrees to provide transportation without getting angry and to discuss the situation at a later time in a calm and caring manner.
Gabriela Hernandez, a sophomore at Lake Park and a SADD team leader, said she hopes more students will file a contract.
"We handed out a lot of contracts but we didn't get a lot back," Hernandez said.
She said she believes the program is a great way to stimulate communication between students and parents. Hernandez said she had a good discussion with her parents.
"I showed them the contract and we sat down and talked about it," she said. "… I told them: 'I'll call you if I'm ever in trouble.'"
While the goal of the program is positive reinforcement, police will continue their regular patrols near both campuses to check for speeding and other moving violations.
"It doesn't mean we will not be ticketing near the high school," Hourigan said.
Tools for parents
Here are links to Web sites that offer parents information on how to speak to their children about serious issues such as drugs and alcohol:
• www.talkingwithkids.org/drugs.html