Here is a link to the 9th Court of Appeals Decision.

http://www.bmtisd.com/files/1371/download/

Goals of the Beaumont Police Department Cops & Kids Youth Outreach Programs are to:

Build trust between Beaumont’s youth and its Police Officers

Educate children about personal safety and crime prevention

Promote leadership, ethics and civic duty

Encourage youth to consider law enforcement as a profession

Build partnerships with other community organizations serving youth

Cops & Kids Carnival

The Cops & Kids Carnival is a youth personal safety and crime prevention initiative provided in a carnival-like forum. This event is free and open to the public. Food, drinks, amusements, entertainment, games and safety information booths are part of the back-drop of this outreach project for children. Uniformed law enforcement officers participate in all aspects of this project. Specialized police tactical units, such as K9 and SWAT, are on display and officers are available to talk with children and engage their parents about a variety of issues – safety, crime prevention, and police work as a career choice. The carnival offers children a chance to interact with officers in a fun, stress-free environment which improves trust and builds better relationships between cops and kids. Number of participants annually: 1800-2500

YALE Academy (Youth and Law Enforcement Academy)

The Youth and Law Enforcement Academy is a free two-week summer program offered to Beaumont area high school male and female students who have passed the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. The course targets students who may already be interested in law enforcement, criminal science, or military as a career, or for students who simply like a challenge. Students will learn all aspects of law enforcement, including physical fitness, gun safety and defensive driving tactics. Graduates earn a certificate of completion and a tee shirt. Number of participants annually: 30

Police School Reading Project

The BPD School Reading Project is a literacy project aimed at elementary aged school children. The school reading project promotes a love of reading combined with personal safety information for children. Each week police officers visit local schools and read with the young students. This interaction not only improves reading readiness for students, but also instills a sense of trust in police officers, thereby improving safety for the kids. Number of participants annually: 1600

Trunk or Treat & Haunted Jail

This safe Halloween alternative for families is hosted at the Beaumont Police Department and features a haunted jail inside of the police station. Specialized police tactical units, such as K9 and SWAT, are on display outside of the building and officers are available to talk with children and engage their parents about a variety of issues – safety, crime prevention, and police work as a career choice. This event is free and open to the public. It provides a great opportunity for children and adults alike to visit the police station and increase their knowledge of the Beaumont Police Department. Number of participants annually: 1200-1500

Youth Bicycle Safety Rodeo

The BPD Youth Bicycle Safety rodeo is the feature event of a comprehensive bicycle safety outreach project. The mission of this effort is to advance bicycle safety and education and create a safer roadway for our citizens and includes a variety of approaches to educate vehicle drivers, bicycle riders and pedestrians about sharing the roads safely. The Bicycle Rodeo is free, open to the public and targeted for bicycle riders age 5-18 and their parents. Number of participants annually: 300

Beaumont Police Explorer Program – Post 730

A scouting project for children age 14-20, designed to instill leadership, ethics and civic duty in young men and women. The project also provides opportunities for police training to those who may desire a law enforcement career. The Explorer Post competes in state and regional conferences and, when resources allow, the National Law Enforcement Explorer conference presented by the Boy Scouts of American and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. Number of participants annually: 16

Teen Collision Avoidance Driving Class

The Teen Collision Avoidance Driving Class is a hands-on tactical defensive driving school designed specifically for teen drivers. The course includes 4 classroom hours of instruction and 8 hours behind the wheel. The class focuses on important driver safety and issues such as distracted driving, roadway hazards, collision avoidance and maintaining vehicle control. Taking this course may save a young person’s life. A $100 registration fee is charged to participants to off-set costs, however, stipends could be offered to students if resources allowed. Number of participants annually: 20

Santa in Blue

Santa in Blue is a holiday gift project targeting needy children and families. During the course of duty police officers identify families that need assistance to provide gifts for the families’ children during the holiday season. The project also partners with area students who volunteer community service time to help buy and wrap presents, which provides these students a great opportunity to exercise leadership and civic duty. When all toys are purchased and wrapped, a day is designated for police officers to deliver gifts throughout the community. Santa in Blue is a wonderful act of good-will for our community organized by Beaumont Police Officers.

Number of participants annually: 200 families