Page 54 - February 2017

Class teaches legal basics to local youth
n BY DAN CAMPANA
Second District CAPS Officer Denise Gathings doesn’t hold back her feelings about a program that teaches schoolkids about the law.
“I thought it was the greatest thing they could have done,” Gathings said of the NOBLE Law in Your Commu- nity class. “This is the perfect time for this.”
Over the course of 14 weeks, Gathings and Officer Da- vid Anderson worked with grade school students during 45-minute sessions that covered the Constitution, the ju- dicial branch of government, election law and, most im- portant, criminal law basics.
By the end, members of the class were able to identify specific types of offenses and their punishments. Gath- ings was impressed by how much, and how quickly, the students picked up the information.
“You can find out who’s going somewhere. They’re changing right in front of you,” she explained. “These kids are so smart, but they’re so hurt.”
Coming from neighborhoods stricken by violence, some of the students walked in with personal experiences that gave them negative viewpoints of police.
“You’ve got some of them who literally hate the police,” Gathings said.
That didn’t derail the teaching moments. Gathings promised the class an open forum to discuss their feel-
ings, and she even dug into her personal life to show a human side that went beyond a badge and uniform.
“We have to work together to get on the same page,” she said of why she worked to relate to the students.
While the law was a main focus, Gathings made sure the students walked away with practical information about how to avoid trouble before it starts by making a call to police. She also reminded everyone that even hav- ing a small part in a fight can lead to big legal problems.
“When they leave, they know the system,” Gathings said, adding she made sure to emphasize respectful ways to interact with police officers.
The next set of classes runs from early February through May. Gathings hopes more officers get involved to take advantage of the “opportunity to mold a young person’s mind.” d
54 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2017