Bermuda's streets, the Police Service and the Department of Education are joining together in a plan of preventative action.

As an extension of the Police Service's REACH (Resistance Education and Community Help) programme which was introduced into schools in 1996, the scheme's five officers will be attending the GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) course in the US this summer.

The two-week officers' training scheme is run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at the Federal Emergency Management Training Centre in Virginia. After completion of the course, REACH officers will introduce the programme of nine-week lessons into the middle schools' anti-violence curriculum.

The cost of the course is being paid for by Bermuda Life Skills Group which operates under the umbrella of the Council Partners Charitable Trust.

Textbooks required by students to participate in the first year of the course have been donated by the Jardine Matheson Group of Companies.

"The Police Service does not accept that Bermuda has a gang problem that's anywhere near the scale seen in the US or parts of Europe,'' says Chief Inspector Gertie Barker. "What we have been seeing, for the most part, has been small -- and I emphasise the word `small' -- groups of youths who congregate in specific areas.'' Stating her belief that these groups thrive on publicity and notoriety, she continues, "the last thing I, or any of my officers wish to do is to glamourise them -- or any of their anti-social activities. But we are all aware that there have been some public acts of violence lately and this trend places all of our children at risk. So it is important that we have preventative measures in place.'' Speaking on behalf of the Department of Education, senior education officer Joeann Smith emphasises that Students Services are very pleased to be working closely with the Police Service. "They have five very dedicated officers who work in the schools on a regular basis and that has been very effective. This is partly because they are very active in the school community generally, getting involved in the life of the school, including PTA meetings and sports days. This has helped greatly in establishing a better relationship between the Police and school students. As for the GREAT programme,'' she adds, "we are very anxious to be involved with the Police in implementing this programme. We recognise that we have been struggling to deal with problems of youth violence and we feel that, the more we all work together, the more likely we are to be successful. So we are pleased to be working in conjunction with the Police in introducing the new REACH programme into the middle school curriculum.'' It was when REACH officer Pc. Grant Tomkins was on a CADA-sponsored course last November, that he first heard about the GREAT programme. "It was getting a lot of good reviews from the professionals at the conference I attended, so we looked into it in more detail and were quite impressed. The whole thing about REACH,'' he adds, "is that it is geared totally towards prevention. It gives young people the tools with which to say `NO' -- and not give in to peer pressure.'' The GREAT programme, running since 1992, teaches children the harmful effects of gangs and points children, instead, in positive directions so that gangs lose their allure and following. Noting that he would describe a `gang' as any group that indulges in violent or illegal behaviour, Pc. Tomkins says that adolescents, in particular, are sometimes tempted by the apparent bonding that the term `gang' or `posse' may offer. "With so many one-parent families, it can offer a young person a sense of belonging, a sense of identity. It can even offer love, of a kind, and, of course, there is the `thrill' of being part of something that's illegal and therefore, daring. And it's also part of the adolescent testing of the water! We, as adults, have to be there, explaining to them why this is not appropriate behaviour and to offer them alternatives.'' During the Virginia course, officers will learn that GREAT is more than just a few classes that will teach kids to say `NO' to gangs: each term's lessons are carefully structured during which students learn about self-esteem, conflict resolution without resorting to violence, and goal-setting.

Students being taught a GREAT programme Games are integrated into the programme so that children enjoy themselves as they learn.

Initial US surveys indicate that where the GREAT programme has been taught, there is reduced gang affiliation, less truancy and delinquent behaviour. The same survey shows that GREAT students develop more positive attitudes towards the police and a greater commitment to school. It was also revealed that GREAT students committed fewer delinquent acts and those who did, felt an increased sense of guilt. "Not all of these results are directly attributable to the GREAT programme but it certainly seems to be a very effective reinforcement tool,'' says Pc. Tomkins.

Younger children, in the Island's elementary schools will learn the difference between a gang and a club; families -- and why they are special; the importance of setting goals; and helping to develop self-esteem as well as appreciating differences in their classmates.

In Bermuda's middle schools, the nine-week course will cover such topics as concepts of crime, their victims and effect on the neighbourhood; conflict resolution; the correlation between drugs and their effects on the neighbourhood; responsibility for personal actions and realistic goal-setting.

"The main area for us,'' adds Pc. Tomkins, "is the anti-violence section.

Youth violence is on the increase and it's our aim to reach adolescents and nip it in the bud before it gets any worse.'' The REACH police officers who will undertake training include Sgt. Paul Singh, Pc. Amanda Blakeney, Pc. Edward Lightbourne, Pc. Martin Weekes and Pc. Grant Tomkins.