Participants in L.E.A.D.’s inaugural Community Prevention Officer (CPO) pilot program, including Paramus Police Capt. James Teehan, center, discussed the outcomes of their community prevention initiatives during a panel presentation at the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference on June 3 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. (Photo Courtesy L.E.A.D.)
ALLENTOWN, N.J. — Twelve police officers from across the country served as the pilot class for the L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) Community Prevention Officer (CPO) program, a new initiative that extends the organization’s evidence-based prevention work beyond the classroom and into the community.
L.E.A.D. showcased the pilot class’s work during the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference in Atlantic City, where a panel of participating officers presented their projects and answered questions from the audience, discussing how they applied prevention science to the unique needs of their communities.
“Our goal is to support officers working directly with their communities to help individuals and make their communities safer,” said Nick DeMauro, L.E.A.D. Executive Director and CEO. “We do that by providing them training on an evidence-based approach to prevention, preparing them to assess and address the biggest needs in their community.”
The panel reflected months of training, planning, and implementation led by L.E.A.D. with officers selected from around the country. Participants first completed intensive training designed in partnership with Applied Prevention Science International (APSI), then conducted a comprehensive needs assessment of their communities and developed strategic prevention initiatives tailored to the challenges facing local youth.
Dr. Zili Sloboda, president of APSI and one of the nation’s leading prevention science researchers, opened the session, emphasizing that effective prevention begins with understanding each community before implementing solutions. Sloboda played a key advisory role in developing the L.E.A.D. CPO pilot’s early framework, which is designed to extend prevention efforts beyond the classroom by strengthening collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community-based prevention practitioners.
“The goal of this initiative was not to hand officers a one-size-fits-all program,” Sloboda explained. “We wanted them to understand prevention science, assess the unique risks and protective factors in their own communities, and build evidence-based strategies that can be measured, evaluated, and sustained.”
The L.E.A.D. CPO program expands the organization’s evidence-based prevention efforts beyond the classroom, equipping officers to work directly with families, youth organizations, community partners, and local stakeholders to address substance abuse, violence, and other issues before they escalate. Throughout the panel, officers described how the training helped them move from identifying problems to developing measurable prevention strategies grounded in data, community partnerships, and ongoing evaluation.
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L.E.A.D. Community Prevention Officer Pilot Projects
The inaugural L.E.A.D. CPO pilot class included officers from 12 law enforcement agencies across eight states. Each officer identified a prevention challenge unique to their community, then built an evidence-based implementation plan to address it through education, partnerships, and measurable outcomes. Below are highlights from their work.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office (Florida)
Sgt. Karen Eggleston-Negron — Vaping Prevention
What was the need in the community?
“THC oil for us is a big problem,” Sgt. Eggleston-Negron said. “Some kids still use tobacco vapes, but a lot of them are THC vapes, so we wanted to build a strong partnership with the community and the Collier County schools to reduce vaping on school campuses through education for students and their families.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare her for this work?
Sgt. Eggleston-Negron applied the L.E.A.D. CPO framework to build measurable objectives and a long-term evaluation system for assessing the initiative’s effectiveness. Working with community partners, she launched the “Escape the Vape” campaign, which includes classroom presentations, parent education, informational videos, printed materials, and the distribution of 1,000 nicotine and THC test kits. The initiative also tracks school incident data to measure whether vaping-related incidents decline over time.
What was her perspective on how the project turned out?
“We have seen it start to reduce, but it’s not reducing to what it needs to be,” Sgt. Eggleston-Negron said of the project’s impact on local vape use so far. She noted that the initiative continues to build on existing prevention efforts by expanding education for students and families while providing measurable tools to track its long-term impact.
Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office (Kansas)
Deputy Brandon Depew — Recidivism Prevention
What was the need in the community?
When Deputy Brandon Depew joined Dickinson County’s Recovery Court, he recognized that individuals recovering from substance use disorders often struggled to find employment because of their criminal records, making it more difficult to rebuild their lives and avoid reoffending.
“I kept going back to that little girl and her goal,” Deputy Depew said, recalling a L.E.A.D. student who wrote that her goal was to see her mother become alcohol-free. “When I was approached with the CPO program, I was like, man, there is a part of the world that we’re not touching.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program gave Deputy Depew intensive training in prevention science that helped him turn an idea into an evidence-based strategy. Using the program’s planning framework, he built an initiative focused on reducing recidivism by connecting Recovery Court participants with second-chance employers through job fairs, job-search assistance, and other targeted services.
“When we have individuals in the community that have drug- and alcohol-related charges, it’s hard for them to get jobs,” Deputy Depew said. “I wanted to look at how we could use the program to help those that may have a checkered past build a better future for themselves.”
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
Deputy Depew said the L.E.A.D. CPO pilot gave him the chance to build a project addressing a critical need in his community by helping people in recovery find stable futures through employment and life-skills development.
“We are going to launch a promotional video in October, and we’re going to be putting on a job fair for individuals that may have checkered pasts where we can connect them with employers that are interested in helping with that recovery process,” Deputy Depew said. “We are appreciative of the process and the opportunity to participate in this.”
Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey)
Detective Felix Katsaroans — Overdose Prevention
What was the need in the community?
Detective Felix Katsaroans developed his project after responding to a series of opioid-related incidents that underscored the need for stronger community prevention efforts, particularly around fentanyl.
“Just a few weeks ago, we had an incident in our city,” Detective Katsaroans said, referring to a 4-year-old who overdosed on fentanyl left accessible in the home. “Thankfully, due to the heroic actions of first responders, the recognition of the problem, CPR, and administration of Narcan, that child survived. Incidents like that remind us why prevention, education, and community engagement matter. It’s not just about enforcement — it’s about trying to prevent tragedies before they happen.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program taught Detective Katsaroans to apply prevention science to community problems by building a logic model, identifying stakeholders, and locating sustainable funding sources.
“My experience with the CPO program helped me better understand the mission and how to turn ideas into actions,” Detective Katsaroans said. “During the class, one of the assignments involved creating a logic model and really examining what problems existed in our municipalities. I initially focused on heroin, but as I dug deeper, it became clear that it was a much broader issue. It forced me to take a closer look at the challenges affecting our community and think differently about prevention, education, and outreach.”
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
Detective Katsaroans said the program helped him move ideas from concept to implementation by focusing on solutions rather than obstacles. It also broadened his initial focus from heroin to overdose prevention more generally, leading him to learn how to apply for opioid settlement funding while expanding community partnerships and strengthening existing outreach. As a result, Hackensack established a Citizens Police Academy and introduced “Hidden in Plain Sight” presentations for parents.
“After taking this class, I realized that some of the red tape is not just resistance — they just don’t know how to go about the process,” Detective Katsaroans said. “Once I identified how to get funding, did some of the heavy lifting, and presented that idea to the chief, it became easier to do things in my department.”
Virginia Beach Police Department (Virginia)
Lt. Kevin Lokey — Youth Gun Violence Prevention
What was the need in the community?
Lt. Kevin Lokey developed his project after identifying youth gun violence as a growing concern in Virginia Beach, where conflicts among young people were increasingly escalating to firearm incidents. His team also recognized that firearms stolen from vehicles were contributing to the problem, leading them to focus on both youth education and responsible firearm ownership.
“We are taking a couple different approaches with our program,” Lt. Lokey said. “One is focusing on youth gun violence with a curriculum for younger teens on communication, conflict resolution, and real-life consequences. We’re also focusing on gun owners, because a lot of guns are stolen from vehicles.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program taught Lt. Lokey to organize a comprehensive strategy built around measurable goals, community partnerships, and long-term evaluation. He developed a prevention initiative that includes youth education, responsible firearm ownership campaigns, free gun-lock distribution, public service announcements, violence interrupters, parent education, and collaboration with prosecutors, juvenile justice officials, Parks and Recreation, community organizations, and families affected by gun violence. The initiative also incorporates ongoing performance measures to evaluate its effectiveness and guide future improvements.
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
Lt. Lokey said the CPO program gave his team the structure it needed to turn a broad idea into an organized, evidence-based initiative that continues to move forward.
“We were actually working on a gun violence program when this training came up, and we were all over the place,” Lt. Lokey said. “We had a lot of meetings and a lot of good discussion, but we didn’t have a clear path. This training was perfectly timed — it gave us the roadmap we needed, and we were able to start moving forward.”
Hillsboro Police Department (New Hampshire)
Officer Michael DeTurris — Community Vape Awareness and Prevention
What was the need in the community?
Officer Michael DeTurris developed his project after identifying underage vaping as a growing concern in Hillsboro, where youth were obtaining THC and nicotine vaping products through older peers, family members, and retailers that failed to verify age.
“My main focus is going to be proactive prevention and continuing to deter the use of underage THC and tobacco use in vapes,” Officer DeTurris said. “It’s a real problem in the schools and in society in general.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program taught Officer DeTurris to use prevention science to build an evidence-based strategy for reducing youth vaping — defining the problem, identifying at-risk populations, developing a logic model, setting measurable goals, and evaluating results over time.
“An example is that you can use before-and-after data on school suspensions and police data on incidents involving underage vape use,” Officer DeTurris said. “The training helped me understand better and feel more confident developing plans and applying strategies against underage vape use. It’s evidence-based and proven to work — you’re not just winging it.”
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
Although an injury temporarily delayed implementation, Officer DeTurris said the L.E.A.D. CPO training gave him the confidence and tools to build a prevention initiative grounded in evidence rather than assumptions. His initiative also includes educating parents and the broader community about how youth gain access to vaping products and creating opportunities for continued dialogue outside the classroom.
“The training also helped me feel more confident and prepared to speak on issues that parents might be unaware of,” Officer DeTurris said.
Howell Township Police Department (New Jersey)
Cpl. Jayme Higgins — Youth Tobacco and Vaping Prevention
What was the need in the community?
As Howell Township’s School Resource Officer, Cpl. Jayme Higgins identified youth vaping, nicotine pouches, and other tobacco products as growing concerns among students. Recognizing that education alone would not solve the problem, he developed a strategy that brings together schools, parents, health professionals, township officials, and other community stakeholders to reduce underage tobacco and nicotine use through a coordinated, evidence-based approach.
“My mission statement was that Howell Police will work in conjunction with the stakeholders in the community to reduce underage use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and tobacco dip pouches,” Cpl. Higgins said. “This will be accomplished through evidence-based school education, community education through social media advertising campaigns, local township ordinance creation, and enforcement by code enforcement officials.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program taught Cpl. Higgins to approach prevention as an evidence-based, measurable process rather than relying on isolated education efforts. The training helped him identify local risk factors, gather reliable data, engage community partners, and build a strategic plan that could be evaluated and refined over time.
“The foundation of this program is to figure out that what we’re doing can have a long-term effect, but figure out a way to see that it’s actually happening,” Cpl. Higgins said. “We come at it with more of a research-based, scientific process, and then over time try to re-evaluate to see if there has been some sort of change.”
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
Cpl. Higgins said the L.E.A.D. CPO program reinforced that successful prevention depends on collaboration among everyone working with youth. By bringing schools, police, public health officials, and other stakeholders together under one coordinated strategy, he believes communities can better understand the problem, measure progress, and make meaningful improvements over time.
“The L.E.A.D. Community Prevention Officer program is an interesting initiative to really take the things that we do in prevention as a police officer and put it all together,” Cpl. Higgins said. “Work with different stakeholders in the community to understand that we’re all working toward the same goal, then look at the end product to see if we’ve actually made a difference.”
Paramus Police Department (New Jersey)
Capt. James Teehan — Youth Tobacco and Vaping Prevention
What was the need in the community?
Capt. Teehan identified youth vaping as a growing challenge throughout the Paramus school district, where nearly 3,000 students attend grades five through 12. He explained that vaping had become such a significant issue that discarded devices repeatedly clogged the school’s plumbing system, ultimately forcing the school to close while the entire sewer system was repaired. The experience, he said, underscored the need for stronger prevention efforts, evidence-based education, and accountability measures to discourage youth tobacco and vaping use.
“Vaping is a problem,” Capt. Teehan said. “It’s kind of a war that we’re just starting to try to understand and, hopefully, win.”
How did the L.E.A.D. CPO program prepare him for this work?
The L.E.A.D. CPO program taught Capt. Teehan to support existing community outreach efforts with prevention science and evidence-based planning. The training also provided research and scientific support that he said helps law enforcement gain buy-in from agency leadership, elected officials, and community stakeholders when implementing prevention initiatives. He added that collaborating with fellow CPO participants from around the country strengthened his own project by exposing him to new ideas he could adapt for Paramus.
“The CPO program provides evidence-based, real-world methods to understand the negative health effects of vaping,” Capt. Teehan said. “If you participate in this program, you now have resources.”
What was his perspective on how the project turned out?
“I was honored and very fortunate to be part of the ground-floor first class of this,” Capt. Teehan said. “Basically, what we were able to do is get a background in the science to support the community outreach that we already do.”
He added that one of the greatest benefits of the pilot was the chance for officers from different parts of the country to learn from one another while working toward the same goal.
“We all have the common goal of community outreach and doing something to better our community,” Capt. Teehan said. “Everybody has the same idea, but we all just took different roads to do it because of where we live. It is really one of the best classes I’ve ever been part of.”
Other participants in the L.E.A.D. Community Prevention Officer (CPO) pilot program included Sgt. Daniel McDonald (Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Naples, Florida) — First Responders’ Response to Autism; Deputy Chief Charles Danker (Grey Snow Police Department, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Perkins, Oklahoma) — THC and Vaping Prevention; Officer Mark Hauerter (Marco Island Police Department, Marco Island, Florida) — Youth Vaping Prevention; Officer Bryan Smith (Moody Police Department, Moody, Alabama) — Youth Vaping Prevention; and Officer Gabrielle Marie Buckley (Saranac Lake Police Department, Saranac Lake, New York) — Youth Vaping Prevention.
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Building the Future of Community Prevention
The L.E.A.D. CPO initiative represents the next evolution of the organization’s prevention mission, extending evidence-based strategies beyond school classrooms and into neighborhoods, recreation centers, community organizations, and families.
The pilot’s success was on full display during the June 3 panel discussion, as participants shared video presentations and explained how prevention science can be adapted to vastly different community needs while following the same evidence-based framework. Participants credited the months of prevention science training and instruction provided through APSI for preparing them to design and implement effective programs based on comprehensive assessments of their communities. Throughout implementation, the inaugural CPO class took part in regular check-in meetings with L.E.A.D. and APSI to refine and evaluate their initiatives.
Following the pilot’s successful completion, L.E.A.D. plans to expand its CPO training to additional law enforcement agencies nationwide, building a network of certified officers dedicated to using evidence-based prevention strategies in their communities.
To get involved with the L.E.A.D. Community Prevention Officer program, watch for announcements about upcoming training opportunities. Visit LEADrugs.org to stay updated and learn more.
About L.E.A.D.
L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Allentown, N.J., dedicated to equipping law enforcement agencies with the resources, training, and curriculum to deliver effective drug and violence prevention education in schools and communities nationwide. L.E.A.D. supports more than 6,500 certified instructors, who reach more than one million students in more than 2,500 school systems through the Botvin LifeSkills® Training curriculum. L.E.A.D. is funded through donations and grants. For more information, visit LEADrugs.org or call 609-259-2500.
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