Program Goals:

Crimestoppers Teen Ambassadors Against Crime (TAAC) Leadership Program will help students gain a better understanding of the criminal justice arena, including the role that students can and do play in community safety. The goal of the TAAC program is to give students an opportunity to directly engage with law enforcement and other community partners while becoming educated and empowered to serve as crime prevention role models in their schools and communities.

TAAC teaches students about the costs and consequences both personally and economically of crime, their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and their ability to bring about meaningful change through advocacy and service, while grooming them as future leaders who will leave a positive footprint in our community. Ambassadors will be challenged to address the "no snitch" culture and to foster the message of empowerment of our Safe School Program.

Interactive Hands-On Education

The TAAC program is designed to teach youth how to examine violence and law-related issues in the context of their schools and communities and how to apply what they learn to real-life circumstances. Students learn about the different types of crime, the costs and consequences of crime, conflict management strategies, how crime affects communities, and what community prevention programs and services are available to them. The program increases social responsibility in teens, educates them about the law, reduces their potential for victimization, and engages them in making their homes, schools, and communities safer.

Teen Ambassadors selected for 2021-2022 will have the opportunity to participate in:

• SWAT Leadership Course 
• Youth Peace Congress featuring professional speakers and community leaders.
• Engaging with Community Resources from local, state and federal agencies: Listen to and interact with guest speakers who are prominent members of the local crime prevention and criminal justice community
• Visit and interact with representatives from Forensics, Crime lab, Juvenile Detention Center, Crime Victims Advocate, New Orleans Family Justice Center, Special Operations Division (SOD), District Attorney's Office, Homicide Division and Narcotics
• Tour of Orleans Parish Prison and conversation with rehabilitated parolees.
• Networking for student internships and the opportunity to compete for a possible scholarship.
• Service learning projects where teens will apply what they have learned to help inform and inspire their peers to be involved in crime prevention

Safe Schools Program

We know that students know many times who did something on campus.  But, they are afraid to step forward out of fear of retaliation.  Having a way to say what you know anonymously, empowers you to take charge over the situation without fear of retaliation.

Our Safe School Program offers the safety of complete anonymity while promoting responsibility and allowing students to take action against victimization and crime. The program works in because we develop a team beginning with the school liaisons, to work in partnership with law enforcement and behavioral health resources to manage the student tipster's needs. When a student sends a tip, we will pass along the information to the school or if needed, law enforcement to do the investigation. If a student is reporting an incident or concern for self harm, the information will be sent to the school and the school's mental health counselor.  Our goal is to let the student reporter know that all information is reviewed and appropriate action taken.

Crimestoppers, Inc. will provide a 24 hour, seven days a week call center who will triage the tips received.  All tips are forwarded to the associated school and/or law enforcement agency for investigation.  The school or law enforcement agency will be asked to provide a disposition on the tip, but all investigations are the responsibility of the appropriate agency/school which provides your staff the ability to handle internally.

How does your school begin working with Crimestoppers, Inc.?

Louisiana State Police and Crimestoppers, Inc. have partnered together to bring their proven anonymous student reporting program to Louisiana schools.  This service is being offered to you at no cost and follows “best practice” procedures for operating anonymous student hotlines on a platform called “P3 Campus.”  “P3 Campus” is also used by many of the national student reporting programs such as “Safe to Tell,” “Say It Here,” and Sandy Hook Promise.  This program also allows anonymous “tips” to be provided from teachers and others, who may have information which they prefer to share anonymously concerning school safety. 

Schools may sign on to participate with this new “Safe Schools Louisiana” program by signing our memorandum of operation (MOU), assignment of a lead contact which we call our Recipient Contact Administrator for the School District/School and then agree to participate in virtual training on the system and the selection of the team who will assist in processing tips within your School System.  All training can be done virtually on the system.

In addition to selection of your team and training, we will also ask for a commitment by the schools to help promote and market the program to their students, parents, and teachers.  A classroom module for teachers to promote the anonymous reporting program will be provided, as well as Public Service Announcements, short educational videos on key topics of public safety and sample handouts, posters, etc. to reproduce.

Considering the significance of the information you can gather through a student anonymous reporting program which is independent of your personnel, the amount of time for education and processing your school’s information is minimal.

To arrange a meeting to learn more about this invaluable resource by sending a request under Contact Us!