DJJ Participates in DeKalb County’s 8th Annual Community Day with Law Enforcement

 
Story support by Mary Catherine Heard

To celebrate the upcoming school year, the 8th Annual Community Day with DeKalb County Law Enforcement was held on August 2. The youth who participated had a fun-filled morning bowling and eating pizza with law enforcement officers at the Stars and Strikes bowling alley in Stone Mountain.





Representatives from the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Solicitor’s Office, DeKalb County District Attorney, DeKalb County Police, DeKalb County School District Office of Public Safety and DeKalb County Marshal’s Office attended to interact with the youth in a relaxed setting.





Officers from DJJ’s DeKalb High Intensity Teams (HITS) attended with youths that are under DJJ supervision. DeKalb HITS joined fellow law enforcement agencies in collecting school supplies and backpacks to give to the youths who attended. Event organizers believe that starting the school year off right means having the necessary school supplies needed to succeed.







Several officers, including Juvenile Probation Manager (JPM) Bernardra Kagwe, spoke to the youths attending the event about the importance of completing their education and how law enforcement officers are ready and willing to support them. The youth also took a pledge with DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston to stay in school, work hard, maintain excellent attendance and be ready to learn.







Community Day with Law Enforcement was started by Thomas Walker, Sr. and former DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown in order to showcase officers of the law as positive role models and to help decrease juvenile delinquency in schools and communities. Special thanks is given to Papa John’s pizza for donating lunch and community partners like Publix for donating school supplies.