Setting Up a Neighborhood Watch Program

From Examiner.com - Launched in 1972, Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program joining citizens and law enforcement, with the citizens keeping a trained eye and ear on their communities to make them safe. The program, sponsored by the National Sheriff’s Administration (NSA), took off quickly: in just ten years, 12 percent of the population was involved in a Neighborhood Watch, according to NSA.

For valuable tips on how to start your own Neighborhood Watch Program click here.

Smoking Marijuana = Supporting Drug Cartels

As the drug war rages in Mexico, some antidrug advocates are using the occasion to jump-start a movement against marijuana.

From the Wall Street Journal - Every April 20, marijuana smokers around the country light up for an unofficial holiday celebrating pot that stems from the smoker slang "420." This year, as the drug war rages in Mexico, the festivities fall against an increasingly violent backdrop. Some antidrug advocates are using the occasion to jump-start a movement against marijuana not just for health and legal reasons, but on moral grounds. American pot smokers, they say, are unwittingly supporting drug cartels in Mexico.

Aaron Byzak, president of the North Coastal Prevention Coalition, an antidrug group in north San Diego County, says he'll focus on the Mexican drug war when he addresses 1,000 seventh- to 10th-graders at the group's annual antidrug festival, also held on April 20, at an amusement park in Vista, Calif. Mr. Byzak will urge the kids to think of Mexico's drug lords if they're offered a puff.

To read the complete story in the Wall Street Journal click here.

What do the numbers say about marijuana use by young people? Click here to find out from the latest Monitoring the Future survey.

Campus Crime Stoppers Hits the Modesto Area

From The Modesto Bee - As of Feb. 1, students at junior high and high schools in Modesto and Ceres are now part of Campus Crime Stoppers. The Crime Stoppers program, which lets tipsters share information anonymously and gives them a chance to claim rewards, has been in the county since 2005. It has led to more than 136 arrests, including several related to homicide investigations.

Authorities said they hope that encouraging students and their families to get involved will make campuses safer and potentially tap into a gold mine of clues. Now that Crime Stoppers accepts tips via the Web and text messaging, officials say, the program should be easy for students to access.

To read the complete story in The Modesto Bee click here.

To learn more about Campus Crime Stoppers visit the official website here.