Mount Arlington Police Department Det. James Braun posed with students who recently completed L.E.A.D.’s 10-week drug and violence prevention education program. The program teaches students valuable skills related to decision-making, communication, conflict resolution and resisting peer pressure. (Photo Courtesy L.E.A.D.)
MOUNT ARLINGTON, N.J. — When he joined the Mount Arlington Police Department in 2018, Detective James Braun never imagined that one of the most important parts of his job would involve standing in front of a classroom full of curious fifth graders.
“I was definitely more of a proactive enforcement kind of guy, policing the streets and making arrests,” Braun said. “I never pictured myself teaching kids.”
After moving from patrol duty into the Detective Bureau, however, Braun accepted an offer to take over the department’s L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) program and he soon began mentoring students about decision-making, peer pressure, healthy relationships and drug prevention.
Now in his third year as a L.E.A.D. instructor, Braun says the experience has completely changed his perspective on law enforcement.
“I started seeing the other side of police work,” he said. “It’s a side of policing I never really thought about before.”
More than 7,000 law enforcement officers nationwide have now been certified to teach the evidence-based L.E.A.D. program, which is designed to help students develop decision-making skills, resist peer pressure, manage emotions and build healthy relationships. L.E.A.D.’s classroom program now uses Botvin LifeSkills Training, a curriculum shown to have the highest return on investment (ROI) of all substance abuse prevention curricula studied. Throughout its 12 years, L.E.A.D. has provided drug and violence prevention education to more than 1 million students.
“When law enforcement officers take the time to build relationships with young people before problems arise, they create opportunities to guide, mentor and positively influence the next generation,” said Nick DeMauro, Executive Director and CEO of L.E.A.D. “We are grateful to Detective Braun for his commitment to the students and families of Mount Arlington, and to all of our certified L.E.A.D. instructors who have such a large impact in communities across the country.”
“One of the greatest strengths of the L.E.A.D. program is that it allows police officers to connect with impressionable students in a meaningful and authentic way,” said Nicholas Loizzi Jr., Vice President of Programs for L.E.A.D. “The lessons are important, but so are the conversations, trust and relationships that develop along the way. Detective Braun has embraced that mission, and his impact is clearly being felt both inside and outside the classroom.”
This year, Detective Braun taught 42 fifth graders through L.E.A.D.’s 10-lesson curriculum, capping off the program with a kickball game, pizza party and skits on Wednesday, June 17. Throughout his three years teaching the curriculum, he provided the L.E.A.D. classroom program to more than 90 students.
While the lessons focus on helping students make positive choices, Detective Braun believes one of the program’s greatest benefits is creating a space where students feel comfortable asking questions and building trust with police officers.
“We may be an outlet for a student who might not otherwise want to ask a tough question,” he said. “They might be too shy to ask an adult these questions in another situation. I try to give honest answers and give them a space where they feel comfortable and not judged either.”
Those conversations often happen during open question-and-answer sessions Detective Braun holds at the end of class. Students ask about everything from peer pressure to drugs and alcohol to challenges they see in their own lives.
“The peer pressure lesson gets a lot of questions,” he said. “They’re at an age where they’re trying to fit in. We talk a lot about how every decision you make has a positive or negative consequence.”
Over time, Braun has seen the impact extend far beyond the classroom.
Parents frequently recognize him around town and tell him how much their children enjoyed the program. (“Hey, you’re Detective Braun,” they say.) Former students often stop to say hello when they see him.
One moment in particular stands out.
While assisting with a narcotics investigation, Detective Braun encountered a student who had participated in his L.E.A.D. class the previous year. As police stormed the apartment next door, the student recognized him immediately.
“You could see the relief in her eyes when she saw me there,” he recalled.
For Detective Braun, that moment captured what prevention is really about.
“In a classroom setting, you’re getting into their world,” he said. “Once you do that, they’re more comfortable with you. We break down that wall and open the door to more conversations.”
L.E.A.D. is built on the belief that helping young people develop confidence, decision-making skills and trusted relationships today can prevent problems tomorrow. For Detective Braun, that mission has become deeply personal, and, more than ever, he believes that sometimes the most important police work takes place long before someone makes a decision that could get them into trouble.
“The kids we’re teaching now are the future of the community,” he said. “Being able to build those relationships early makes a real difference.”
About L.E.A.D. — Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence
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. Since its founding in 2015, L.E.A.D. has partnered with agencies nationwide, supporting more than 7,000 trained instructors who have reached more than one million students in more than 2,500 school systems. L.E.A.D. delivers prevention on the street and in the classroom through its Community Prevention Officer initiative and the Botvin LifeSkills® Training curriculum, the gold standard in evidence-based prevention education. L.E.A.D. is funded through donations and grants that support the organization’s national program and infrastructure, sustaining this work across every community it serves. For more information, visit LEADrugs.org or call 609-259-2500.
Mount Arlington Police Department Detective James Braun bumped fists with a student from one his L.E.A.D. classes. (Photo Courtesy L.E.A.D.)
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