It’s hard to fool a good high school student these days. They are savvy, street-wise and smart. (My daughter graduated from high school last year, so I know!)
But I’m not sure if some exemplary students in Harris County have identified all of the good motives behind a Kindle Fire computer tablet give-away program being conducted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, CITGO and some public school systems.
The devices are being awarded to certain students with perfect attendance records. Certainly the awards serve as examples for the students’ peers. The underlying message, of course, is that showing up every day to learn all you can leads to greater things, such as opportunity for a rewarding life.
But in law enforcement, we also know good attendance prevents crime. When in school, young people are less likely to be tempted into illegal acts. But knowledge, of the kind supplied by school, also prevents crime. So does personal responsibility. Education and public safety go hand in hand, because the more Harris County’s next generation understands about itself and the world around it, the more it will know to choose the right path toward neighborhood well-being.
Now you can see why a law enforcement agency would partner with a good local corporate citizen to spread the wealth.
There’s another ulterior motive to the give-aways, though. At the school assemblies where the tablets are presented, my staff also urges students to download and use the free iWatchHarrisCounty smart phone app that allows anyone to report non-emergency crime tips to our investigators, anonymously or not.
In case you haven’t noticed, a lot of young people would rather use a smart phone to communicate by text, photo and video than to talk to someone by “phone.” (Again, my daughter graduated from high school last year, so I know!)
So whether or not they have perfect attendance, students can help their schools achieve a perfect public safety record.
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