Respect For Law

Respect ForLaw/Promotion ofNon-ViolenceIn July 1965, a discussion between PastInternational President Carl Bowen and former FBIDirector J. Edgar Hoover resulted in the birth of theRespect For Law community activity. This is the fourthmost popular Optimist activity with more than 1,500clubs participating each year.Respect For Law Club ProjectsAwards honoring Law Enforcement Officers andCitizens (including youth) Present an outstanding law enforcement officer withan official Optimist International Law EnforcementAward. Present an outstanding citizen with an officialRespect for Law Commendation. Develop a District award for outstanding officers andcitizens.Projects to Expose Youth/Community to LawEnforcement Officers and/or Law Makers Build a partnership with police focused on solvingproblems instead of reacting to crises. Organize classroom tours of law enforcementfacilities. Conduct a community forum in which lawenforcement officials can address issues. Sponsor a Respect For Law Camp in which youthattend a three-day event acquainting them withpolice officers and their work. Sponsor a forum where lawmakers answer questionsfrom young people. Establish a youth council from the community’sjunior and senior high schools.Project to Expose Youth/Community to the LegalProcess Sponsor a trip to the state capital for young people.Projects to encourage youth/community to obey the law Develop new programs to focus on a familycentered, neighborhood-based approach to workingwith at-risk youth and their families. Convene an area-wide conference to provideinformation to professionals about crime preventionand early intervention programs. Make sure that all the young people in thecommunity have positive ways to spend theirspare time. Explore how neighborhood places of worship canplay more of a leadership role in preventing youthcrime.Develop a program in conjunction with local lawauthorities and insurance agencies.Organize a speaker’s bureau to deliver lectures oncrime prevention.Assist local schools and authorities in developing adropout prevention program.Promotion of Non-ViolenceProjectsFamily RallyThis project educates children and parents aboutviolence and the alternatives and prevention methodsavailable.Some things that can be included in a family rally: Hang a large piece of paper for children to tracetheir hand and write their own proclamations ofpeace inside. Distribute brochures, talk about and display otherOptimist International projects and Club projects.Be sure to put your Club’s meeting time and placein a visible place. Request that local law enforcement agenciesparticipate in crime prevention programs ordemonstrations. Hold a child I. D. program to fingerprint orvideotape children. Ask local merchants to donate family-oriented doorprizes. Ask children’s dentists and doctors to donategiveaways or coupons for service. Have local drama Clubs present a performancepromoting non-violence. Hold a non-violence art contest working with thelocal art teachers. Hold a poetry contest working with the local Englishteachers to have students create poetry promotingnon-violence. Encourage local parks and recreation departments topublicize family-oriented programs. Offer a resource center for young kids to locate jobssuch as grass-cutting, pet sitting, child care, yardwork, etc.1

Offer business owners booth space at the rally toallow youth to fill out résumés and learn about jobopportunities.Poster Contest Have local businesses agree to display a child’swinning poster in their window. Launch a partnership with schools for mentoringprograms and a homework place. Set up a Victims of ViolenceDevelop contest guidelines including the types ofmaterials that can be used, age categories,deadlines, etc. Distribute brochures on crime prevention and safety. Encourage the public to bring an item to donate tochildren for the JOI “Kids Helping Kids” programsuch as stuffed animals, diapers, baby wipes,clothes, toys, etc.Leave your number for participating groups to callwith questions. Contact community leaders and those involved withchildren to help judge the entries. Announce the winners.display. Have the K-9 officers put on a demonstration withtheir dogs. Send the children and adults who helped with thecompetition a letter of congratulations. Give out Respect for Law awards to the outstandinglocal officers and citizens. Plan non-violent games and contests for allMake arrangements to have the winning postersdisplayed in a prominent place such as the statecapital or Governor’s office. Have clowns and pony rides for kids. Invite a D.A.R.E. officer to come and distribute drugprevention information or give a speech to kids. End the day with an alcohol-free/drug-free dance foryouth.ages.Classroom/School Program Sponsor a Non-Violence program for a specificschool, class or grade. Include the D.A.R.E. officer,a speaker on the consequences of violence, conflictresolution materials, etc. Victim of Violence Monument Set up a physical reminder of those killed in thecommunity due to violence in a prominent area. Set up a headstone for each victim or use a lifesized wooden shape painted red depicting the man,woman, or child that was killed. Put information about each victim’s life and deathbeside the figure. Arrange a speaker from the community to give aninspirational speech. Distribute literature. Good locations for activitieswould be a local mall, shopping center, policestation, park, museum, or library.Candlelight Vigil Parade A candlelight vigil or parade in memory of victimsof violence can end at city hall.2 Arrange for an inspirational speaker to address thegathering. Circulate copies of songs the crowd can singtogether during the walk. Be sure to obtain any necessary city permits or otherrequired items well in advance. When providingcandles, be sure to include some protection fromdripping wax. A cardboard circle with an X cut inthe middle will slide on the candle and protect hands.Sponsor a speaker to come to the classroom and talkwith the children in a more personal setting. Havepolice officers come and eat lunch or go to recesswith the kids to interact one-on-one. Since teachershave to provide their lesson plans in advance,contact schools well in advance for participation.Toy Trade-in Program Have children trade in their violence-oriented toys:toy guns, water guns, cap guns, etc. In exchange,the kids get to choose a replacement from a box ofnon-violent toys. This program, developed from the adult version oftrading in guns for cash, is especially good to use inschools located in high-crime areas.Anti-violence Brochures Work with the police department to put together abrochure on a topic of concern in the community. Give details on what kids should look out for, whatto do in case they are approached, and how toreport an incident. Reinforce the instructions to call 911 in the case ofan emergency. Give a supply to local schools, churches,organizations, etc.

Have the mayor and police chief hold a pressconference on Saturday, Day of Non-Violence to signan anti-violence proclamation.Anti-violence Messages on Newspaper Bags Newspaper bags can be used to deliver domesticviolence information. Print statistics of the local level of violence, tips onpreventing violence, and list agencies that canprovide services or assistance in the community onthe bags.Block Parent Program Recruit adults of good character to place BlockParent signs in their windows so children havesomeone to go to if they are approached by astranger who tries to abduct or harm them. The Block Parent’s role is to contact the child’sparents, or the police. Interested adults go througha check by the local police to clear them and toqualify as a Block Parent. Parents take their children to a Blockbuster VideoStore during the month of August. A storerepresentative will videotape the child on acomplimentary 1/2-inch videocassette. Parents keep the videocassette and, in theunfortunate event that their child is reportedmissing, they will have a vital record of the child’smannerisms, appearance, and voice to provide tothe police.Fingerprinting Fair Sponsor a “Stranger Danger” Brat/Hotdog fry.McGruff the Crime Dog can make an appearanceand give a speech. Photograph kids with McGruff. Local police departments have contacts for IDpackets and are certified to do fingerprinting. Theycan train Club members or do the fingerprinting foryou.Child Aware program Host a day-long public seminar with noted speakerson child abuse and discuss how the community canhelp.CASA-Court Appointed Special Advocate After training, community volunteers are appointedby a judge to speak for abused and neglectedchildren in court. These are children that have beenmistreated by their parents or caretakers. CASAvolunteers work with attorneys and social workers. They review records, research information and talkto everyone involved — parents, teachers, familymembers, and of course, the child. The volunteers present a recommendation to thejudge as to what is best for the child. With thisinformation, judges are able to make informeddecisions as to what is best for the child — fostercare, reunification with the family, or adoption.The costs incurred are minimal for printing ofprograms, rental of a location, and assistance withtechnical equipment.Neighborhood Watch Put up signs announcing that residents are gettingtogether to discuss forming a watch in the area.Give the time, place and number to call for moreinformation. Contact your local police department. Officers will give detailed information on how theprogram works, train residents, and supply thesupport items such as stickers and signs. Sponsorthe first neighborhood meeting and offer somesnacks to entice reluctant residents.www.nationalcasa.orgChild Identification ProgramsBlockbuster Kidprint Blockbuster Video stores all over the United Statesand Canada sponsor an annual program of childidentification.3

Programs Especially forCANADAP.E.A.C.E. (Positive Entertainment Alternatives forChildren Everywhere) P.E.A.C.E is the English program twin of T.R.O.P., anonprofit, Quebec-based organization. Each year P.E.A.C.E. has elementary and secondaryschool students vote to identify the best and worstin media programming that includes television,movies and now extends to video games and musicvideos. The results of the vote are shared with the students,government and industry leaders, and the localcommunity through the areness.com/eng/Joyce Street Crime Prevention Residents desired a police station in their area, butthe budget was tight. In response, they created acommunity-run volunteer office. Community volunteers pass vital information to thepolice. The office also provides a bicycle engravingprogram, classes for the public on how the policedepartment works, victim services unit, etc.London Family Court Clinic Committed to advocating for the special needs ofchildren and adolescents in crisis, this clinic workswith more than 500 families each year. Its mission includes assessment, counseling andprevention services as well as research and trainingfor the community. The clinic offers a variety of services, speakers andinformation Clubs can use.www.lfcc.on.ca4

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