History of Student CrimeStoppers Honolulu

Officer Larry WIEDA started the first Student CrimeStoppers program at Fairview High School in Boulder Colorado in 1983.  Since then, Officer WIEDA has replied to thousands of requests for information from schools all over the U.S., Guam, Canada and England.

The Board of Directors of Crime Stoppers Honolulu, Inc. approved a pilot program for Student CrimeStoppers in March, 1997.  It was tailored to the needs of the communities on O`ahu and designed to aid law enforcement in reducing crime on school campuses and in the nearby community. The first five schools were Aiea, Farrington, Leilehua and McKinley High Schools, and Dole Middle School.

The program was expanded in February, 1999 as part of an agreement between Crime Stoppers Honolulu, Inc., the Hawai`i State Board of Education and the Honolulu Police Department to make the Student CrimeStoppers available to every public and private middle and high school on O`ahu.  Ten thousand posters were distributed to the schools to help explain the program.

CrimeStoppers Honolulu, Inc.’s collaboration with the Department of Education along with the Department’s endorsement and encouragement of the "Gun and Ice Pledge" has proven to be a successful partnership. Of those schools that participated in 2005 in the "Gun and Ice Pledge", 13 had 100% participation. A total of 33,000 students from across the islands pledged to never bring a gun to school, never use a gun to solve their problems, and never to use "ice".


Today, there are more than 52 schools from which CrimeStoppers Honolulu routinely receives information about problems and potential crimes. The Gun & ICE Pledge program is open to all schools in Hawaii.

In 2005:

• Waimea High School (Kauai) won the high school category with 100% participation and received an ice cream assembly,
• Aiea Intermediate School won the middle school category with 100% participation and received a school dance, and
• Nanakuli Elementary won the drawing in the elementary school category and received an ice cream assembly.

In 2006:

• Kohala High School (Big Island) won the high school category with 100% participation and received a school dance,
• King Intermediate School won the middle school category with 100 % participation and received an ice cream assembly, and
• Wahiawa Elementary won the elementary school category with 100% participation and received an ice cream assembly.

In 2007: (As reported in Sassy Magazine)

October 24, 2007 was the onset of the Gun and Ice Pledge across the nation in the public schools. In Hawaii, the Gun And Ice Pledge was distributed to every Elementary, Middle and High school in the state.

 

The deadline for the pledge was January 31, 2008 and the school with the most participation per student body is declared the winner.  Each school recites the pledge and has different activities throughout the contest.

This years winners are:

• Haleiwa Elementary with a 100% participation of 174 students.
• Kalakaua Middle School with a 91% participation of 942 students.
• Kauai High School with a 100% participation of 274 students.

Kauai High School’s peer Education Program got students involved by creating posters and had students go out at recess and lunch to promote school safety and sign the pledge. Throughout the week, messages regarding the pledge and ways to resolve conflicts without violence were made during the morning announcements. Posters were hung around campus promoting ways to stop violence.

 

Each winner will be given a prize from CrimeStoppers Honolulu, Inc.

 

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, alone, will not end gun violence among young people. But if it begins on-going conversations with young people about ways other than guns to settle personal issues and scores; if it gives us a chance to renew our own commitments as adults to do all that we can to keep their world safer; if it provides an opportunity to let young people know how very important they are to their families and communities and allows us to offer to help when problems get too big for them to solve alone -- then it will continue to be a positive, empowering force for change.

 

In 2009:

This year's Day of Concern is October 21st, 2009. Start preparing now by looking at materials on the website, http://www.pledge.org/  or by contacting us.