SAFE
Skills and Assets for Excellence

The Police Department began presenting the SAFE, an acronym for Skills and Assets for Excellence, program to fifth graders at Los Alamitos Elementary School in 2004.  This program replaces the SANE, Substance Abuse and Narcotics Education, program which was taught by the now retired, Seal Beach Police Officer Rick Paap.

SAFE was developed by the Brea Police Department to incorporate the 40 Developmental Assets from the Search Institute into a curriculum that could be presented to children in the schools.  The program focuses on what children do well, and then provides support and encouragement to further develop the skills needed to help ensure a productive future.  Although this value based curriculum contains a drug resistance component, its focus is on developing relationships that lead young people along a path to a productive and healthy adulthood.  SAFE provides a holistic approach to developing youth by enhancing relationships and encouraging positive development.   

Although the Brea Police Department developed the curriculum in 2002, its foundation lies in the 40 Developmental Assets, created by the Search Institute in 1996.  The Search Institute is a  nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the well being and positive development of children and youth, conducting scientific studies and translating findings into practical programs, resources, and services for educators, youth-service professionals, parents, community leaders, and policy makers. 

The Search Institute research concluded that students whose lives include a higher number of these Developmental Assets are less likely to abuse alcohol, use illicit drugs, or use violence to resolve a conflict.  This positive approach to identifying assets and interactions that promote good citizenship is a key element of SAFE.  Rather than identifying negative factors that have influenced a young person to stray away from a constructive lifestyle, SAFE focuses on the positive factors that influence people toward goodness.  SAFE is also a natural complement to community oriented policing because it builds strong healthy relationships between police officers and young people.

SAFE curriculum will be presented to the fifth graders at Los Alamitos Elementary School during 10 core lessons, including a graduation, lasting approximately 45 minutes each.  Promoting safety for students, resistance to drugs and exposure to the 40 Development Assets, the lessons will be a combination of lecture, officer and student interaction, workbook exercises, writing assignments, videos, and an occasional homework assignment. 

To enhance the program’s effectiveness and encourage parental discussion of topics at home, parents and community members who subscribe to the School list of the Police Department’s email service, The LAW - Los Alamitos Watch, will receive the SAFE curriculum topic each week.  To subscribe to the LAW, go to and follow the instructions.

Teen Club

The Teen Club Program was designed to offer youths an alternative to "hanging out" on the streets on Friday night. This program, although coordinated by police personnel, is a cooperative endeavor between the Police Department and Youth Center. Police Officers and Aides serve as role models and mentors for our community’s youth in this program. In a loosely structured format, weekly activities include games, group talks, fieldtrips and community service.

Club Live

The Los Alamitos Police Department is also active in Orange County’s Club Live Program. The program was established though a cooperative effort between the Orange County Health Care Agency and the Orange County Department of Education. This program is designed to empower middle-school age youth to lead themselves and others toward an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug –free lifestyle. This program provides a positive, high-energy alternative to drug use while encouraging youth to meet others who accept a healthy lifestyle. Students are involved in drug-free social activities, community service, and leadership training. Los Alamitos Police Officers participate as mentors, counselors and coordinators in this important program.

"Every 15 Minutes"

Every Fifteen Minutes is a multi-community, multi-agency endeavor designed to educate high school students on the dangers of drinking and driving. Led by Los Alamitos High School, representatives create a mock drunk driving fatal collision involving high school students. High school students participate as actors in the accident and subsequent DUI arrest. Role playing by a number of law enforcement and community professionals makes the mock exercise seem realistic. Following the mock accident, the Grim Reaper, in costume, removes a student from class every fifteen minutes. The program name signifies the statistic that a drunk driving death occurs every fifteen minutes. This three-day experience concludes with a seminar featuring guest speakers. Although this program has been offered at Los Alamitos High School only once, it will likely be offered during alternating years.