By Kadey Heidrich
Pasadena ISD Communications
In an effort to better understand, recognize and ultimately prevent the usage of drugs in children, approximately 200 Pasadena ISD administrators including principals, assistant principals, counselors, police officers and nurses participated in a training by Tall Cop Says Stop.
The webinar training, titled “High in Plain Sight,” was hosted by Officer Jermaine Galloway AKA Tall Cop. Galloway began hosting drug prevention trainings in 2009 and has won numerous awards for his efforts. Since that time, Galloway has worked to educate community members about new drug trends using the mantra, “You can’t stop what you don’t know.”
During the training, administrators learned about the latest trends in drug paraphernalia and concealment, along with general details about drug use. Galloway personalized the webinar for Pasadena ISD by performing a community scan several days before his presentation.
“For me, the most impactful piece about his training was the community scan he conducted,” said Alyta Harrell, Pasadena ISD Associate Superintendent of Campus Development. “A couple of days before the training, he purchased paraphernalia and took pictures from local shops in our district. They were then used as examples in his presentation. Instant connection!”
Galloway’s presentation also included helpful tips that educators can use to identify individuals who are abusing drugs. Attendees learned about common identifiers, terms and logos associated with drug use. Participants also learned about different ways that drugs can be concealed, such as stash pockets and other clothing items.
The presentation received overwhelmingly positive reviews from attendees..
“Learning the newest jargon, trends and paraphernalia related to the current drug culture is very helpful, even to those of us working in elementary schools,” said one attendee. “Unfortunately, we deal with parents under the influence and see drug-related incidents. This impacts our students, so the more we know the better.”
Drug addiction does damage to communities. Thanks to this training, Pasadena ISD’s administrators may be able catch substance abuse early on and help students who need to conquer a drug dependency.