The PEOPLE AGAINST CAR THEFT (PACT), even in its very early beginnings, has proven to be an effective mechanism in promoting respect and tolerance among young people. It is our goal to expand that success to the widest possible juvenile audience and prevent the crime of car theft in our lifetimes, while there's still time.

The PACT program, through its honorable efforts, CAN help to overcome prejudice and hate. Its concepts and goals are important and worth sharing.

We seek to prove how programs like PEOPLE AGAINST CAR THEFT can help to make the world, as we know it, a better place.

Thank you for your anticipated interest and support of our efforts to serve.

More About PACT

PEOPLE AGAINST CAR THEFT (PACT) is a not for profit corporation formed to fulfill a unique mission:

·        Significantly reduce the incidents of auto-theft and violence;

·        Educate individuals about the auto-theft culture;

·        Introduce the PACT program into urban as well as suburban schools;

·        Identify individuals that may be at risk for auto-theft and violent crimes;

·        Provide a more positive police/community relationship between the youth, parents/guardians and community leaders;

·        To reduce vehicle theft through a statewide cooperative effort by supporting law enforcement investigation, prosecution and public awareness programs;

·        Develop special after care mentoring program for students.

PACT was founded in an effort to design an effective crime prevention program that identifies and amends the root of the growing problem of juvenile auto-theft and other violent crimes.  Auto-theft is a serious community problem in many areas across the United States. 

Vehicle owners who have their cars stolen suffer inconvenience, unforeseen expenses and time loss from work, and all vehicle owners pay higher insurance rates to cover the replacement of stolen vehicles.  Individuals that commit these crimes also run risks and inconveniences.  These risks range from serving jail time and more often than not, death, related from high-speed chases and/or loss of vehicle control.  This risk increases when the age of the car jacker is under the age of 18.

Currently, PACT continues the awareness and education program, which began in 1988.  PACT educates individuals about the impact of auto-theft and encourages habits that will deter vehicle thefts.  This program, targeted towards school students, stresses the consequences of juvenile involvement in automobile theft, which is a felony.

PACT acts to expand, enhance and strengthen the dissemination of knowledge of auto-theft and the violence associated with it.  It aims to help disadvantaged communities improve the quality of their lives by developing knowledge, value and understanding of auto-theft.

PACT meets these objectives by preparing the target audience (juvenile car jackers) for meaningful careers, career counseling and guidance.  By pooling resources, PACT will coordinate the exchange of information and the development of joint goals and programs in order to empower communities in their quest in decreasing the number of auto-theft and violent crimes. By improving the welfare of the communities, we believe that the quality of communities life will be enhanced.

General Program Description

Currently the state of New Jersey is in the top 10, with its cities possessing the highest auto-theft rate in the nation.  Michael Beasley, committed to finding a solution to this soaring theft rate, developed the idea of PACT, a minority owned and operated not for profit organization.   We seek to introduce this venture into the New Jersey school systems and expand into a nationwide network to market awareness of auto-theft, its consequences and effects as well as deterrence. 

We will approach this program by providing the students trained police officers from their community to instruct them in a 12 month anti auto-theft and anti violence program.  This approach will provide the community and parents an opportunity to participate in the PACT activities as well as provide preventative ways that they can protect themselves and their families from auto-theft related crimes in their communities.  This program also encourages local businesses to sponsor schools in their communities to bring this awareness to a local level.

PACT's unique qualification is based on the varied members including representatives from law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and other business and community organizations who share the common goal of reducing vehicle theft in New Jersey.  This qualification is coupled with groups of criminal justice officials, consumers and insurance representatives who concentrate solely on auto-theft crimes and how to prevent them.

We use the diversity of our membership to create and guide our awareness programs and promote community participation and awareness.  While reducing the number of stolen vehicles is a chief goal of PACT, additional benefits will include an overall reduction in crime and lower insurance premiums. 

PACT is a distinctive program in which we require and provide training.  Corporate and private sponsors, who have responded enthusiastically to the concept to date, will be enlisted to underwrite training.   This partnership provides training and program stability for these communities as well as provides the sponsors an opportunity to give back to the community/environment that needs assistance.

PACT is currently developing curriculums for several other major cities and is expanding into a network of nationwide participants to market and promote this program.  This program is extremely mobile and can be routed to various locations based on the needs of the particular community. 

Our commitment of providing a reduction in auto-theft and violence (on local and national levels) and recognizing the behavior of individuals that maybe prone to commit violent crimes is a unique program that garners PACT a two-fold advantage.

 Program Detail

The recipients of the PACT program fall into two categories:

• A small minority of students are already headed in the direction of auto-theft and/or violent crimes; and
• A majority of students that will never consider this path.

PACT can and will meet the needs of both categories by promoting awareness, education, intervention and prevention.  Each component, although different, will equate into the same objective.

The PACT program will be offered in concert with other school-based prevention activities and intervention strategies for the identification, early intervention, and after-care support of students at risk for committing violent crimes.

A comprehensive program within the school offers such educational activities as the following to heighten awareness and knowledge about violent crimes including auto-theft:

·        Planning and implementation of the school behavior code that includes guidelines.

·        A comprehensive program of instruction of the possible effects of participating in violent crimes. The program is sequential and grade-appropriate for kindergarten through high school. Ideally, this instruction should be offered as integral part of the schools comprehensive health curriculum.

·        Faculty in-service training.

·        Instruction by PACT officer in target classrooms.

·        Parent education, including a PACT evening for parents.

·        Interest groups.

·        Parent outreach and support.

Goals and Purposes of the Program

Our overall goals are:

·        Reduce the incidents of auto-theft and the violence associated with this crime.

• Address this concept through a school-based educational program
• Break the cycle of encouraging drivers that are idolized for auto-theft
• Teach the concept of driver safety
• Assist the student to recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to seek out and engage in acts of violence
• Provide a more positive relationship between police and community members

This program offers preventative strategies to enhance those protective factorsespecially bonding to the family, school and communitywhich appear to foster the development of resiliency in young people who may at risk for violence or other problem behaviors. Researchers have identified certain protective and social bonding factors in the family, school and community which may foster resiliency in young people, in other words, the capacity of young people for healthy, independent growth in spite of adverse conditions. These strategies focus on the development of social competence, resolution, sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities to other destructive behaviors.

The program offers a variety of interactive, group-participation, cooperative-learning activities which are designed to encourage students to solve problems of major importance in their lives. The program content is organized into various lessons to be taught by a law enforcement officer with suggested extended activities to be integrated into other instruction by the classroom teacher.  A specially trained officer will be assigned to the school one day a week for one semester to conduct weekly lessons in elementary schools.   Suggested extended interdisciplinary activities to be taught by the teacher and integrated with other subjects as time permits are presented.  Student participation in the program may be incorporated as an integral part of the schools curricular offering in health, science, social studies, language arts, or other subject(s) as appropriate.  The classroom teacher should maintain a supportive role in classroom management while the officer is teaching.

Since its inception, PACT has successfully educated many individuals.  PACT personnel have participated in many presentations, meetings, media events and exhibits statewide, resulting in a potential audience of approximately 10,000 people.  

Activities and Curriculum

One of the most important activities undertaken by PACT has been creation of a school curriculum aimed at auto-theft prevention.  The highest concentration of vehicle theft arrestees is in the 15-19-year-old age group.   Also, this is the age range when most young adults first regularly operate a vehicle.  Therefore, the school curriculum targets 16- and 17-year-old high school students and may be used as part of driver's education classes or by school resource officers as part of other daily classes. 

Ride For Life: The Consequence of Auto-theft

This comprehensive educational program targets students throughout the state of New Jersey.  "A Ride For Life" stresses the consequences of juvenile involvement in auto-theft by emphasizing the affects on family, friends and the community as a whole. The program also provides educators with materials to assist students in their development of sound decision-making skills.

PACT will work with other organizations to identify repeat juvenile auto-theft offenders to use as spokespersons in the school programs. These young offenders share with other students through real-life experiences what can happen if they choose to participate in auto-theft.

"Park Safe" to prevent auto-theft

Since New Jersey ranks high on the list of the number of auto-thefts in the nation, teaching young drivers about how to prevent auto-theft is one of the first steps towards reducing this costly property crime in our state. Students will view a short educational video and complete pre and post surveys following an instructional program that includes helpful tips and informative facts regarding how to "Park Safe."

"Park Safe" will be presented in a contemporary style that discusses auto-theft with students and encourages habits that can help student drivers avoid becoming a victim themselves.

"Park Safe " will be revised based on feedback from high schools that participated in the first year of the program's implementation.

Summer Urban Sports Camp (SUSC)

During the summer months, children and youths are at home.  PACT offers youth access to a curriculum, which includes sports, leisure, studies/awareness and recreation activities. The objective of the Summer Urban Sports Camp is to provide prevention and intervention efforts for children and youth, by providing access to leisure time activity.  All of the Summer Urban Sports Camp activities are free and, in some cases, WNA will provide partial sponsorship to youth that excel in their respective programs.

The goals of Urban Sports Camp are:

1.      To provide support to the youth in their efforts to leave the gang or violence prone lifestyles or aid in the transition back into the community after having been in a gang.

2.      To assist youth in developing skills, attitudes and interests, which are positive and are alternatives to street gang or violent activities involvement.

3.      To provide positive role models for youth positive peer association.

4.      To provide information about resources that exists within the community that will support the youth.

5.      To provide community based supervised leisure, recreation and cultural activities.

6.      To encourage use of public spaces and facilities.

7.      To encourage civic action and involvement with youth recreation activities.

8.      To develop community and corporate partnership.

This program is designed to assist youth by preventing recidivism to either a gang or an environment of violent behavior.  PACTs volunteers are trained to help youths make healthy choices about their involvement with street gangs and/or violent activities and to help these youth to develop alternative positive lifestyles. The documented objectives for this program accurate portray the intent and purpose of the program.

PACT will also present auto-theft prevention programs for special events, e.g. fairs, auto shows, and civic groups throughout the state.  In addition to tabletop booth displays, a 16-foot exhibit trailer containing information and education material will be available for auto theft prevention promotions nationwide. Presentations and/or demonstrations may be requested anywhere in the state to supplement ATPA or law enforcement agency programs.  PACT is also available to provide "train-the-trainer" programs for law enforcement agencies and citizens' groups throughout the state.

Other display enhancements include "PACTOR, PACTs friendly dinosaur mascot that travels from school to school singing the praises of living a violence free life.

To further public awareness through the media, PACT is designing a series of television commercials available to promote auto-theft prevention.  Work is currently being performed on the music video and rap song to be released. 

Promotional material in the form of brochures and pamphlets is available for dissemination to the general public and law enforcement agencies. PACT plans to also employ billboards, newspaper and specialized media promotion to create peak awareness.  This type of program will heavily depend on local, state and national presence and commitment. 

PACT realizes when school ends most children are home alone for several hours until a parent arrives.  During this time, the tendency to become involved in activities due to peer pressure increases.  As a result, PACT has developed an after school program to provide the students with various activities ranging from homework assistance to additional PACT awareness course.  This is provided free of charge to the students and parents.

Curriculum

LESSON 1: INTRODUCING PACT

Basic introduction to the PACT program, in which students will be come acquainted with the Officer assigned to the school and will be able to define their roles and responsibilities.

LESSON 2:

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF VIOLENT CRIMES