The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Delaware State Police and other local police departments are partnering with school districts in the state to promote safe traffic stops.
Road Rules and Rights is an interactive learning experience that encourages good-decision making during traffic stops for tenth grade driver’s education students.
The program visited William Penn High School this week with more than 200 students participating.
Delaware State Police Senior Corporal Jason Hatchell explains the importance of including a mock traffic stop during the program.
"This mock scenario was to let the students see from the police perspective why we have certain tactics, why we do what we do for our own safety."
Dylan Georges is a sophomore at William Penn High School. He says the program taught him a lot.
"How to properly act when you get pulled over and the importance of keeping your passengers under control. I learned that when your passengers are freaking out it just makes the whole situation a thousand times worse. So I Iearned to better keep them under control and stuff."
The program is 90-minutes and it allows driver’s education students and law enforcement to engage in discussions and simulate a traffic stop.
The program is a collaboration between the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s office, Delaware State Police and Wilmington Police.
More than 200 students participated at William Penn High School this week - and Delaware’s U.S. Attorney David Weiss believes it helps everyone involved.
"It's a dynamic situation. It doesn't just benefit the kids, it benefits law enforcement. They're sitting in the car, they're exchanging some banter, they get to know one another as humans as opposed to dealing with one another on the street, and it's a good way for law enforcement to experience the kids on the kids turf."
Weiss says this helps in another way by making traffic stops safer.
“The Road Rules and Rights Initiative provides a hands-on opportunity for students to better understand common police practices. By learning basic safety tips, traffic stops will be shorter and safer for the public and those law enforcement officers who serve us on Delaware’s roadways.”
The program has reached 12 hundred students since launching two years ago. It has only been rolled out in New Castle County, but Weiss expects it to expand downstate soon.
Weiss says this interactive approach is the most successful approach, and gives law enforcement an opportunity to engage with 15-and 16-year-olds that are often hard to reach.
