News : “WHAT YOU DON’T SEE” EXHIBIT AT BENTON COUNTY FAIR

“WHAT YOU DON’T SEE” EXHIBIT AT BENTON COUNTY FAIR

The Vinton Police Department; working in cooperation with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Benton County Above the Influence Coalition, and the Iowa Narcotics Officers Association; is hosting a traveling interactive exhibit at the Benton County Fair July 27 – July 29 from 12:00 till 8:00 p.m. each day. The exhibit is called What You Don’t See ™ and it will be staffed by volunteers from the Above the Influence Coalition and officers and deputies of the Vinton Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The exhibit inside the trailer is open to adults 21 years of age and older and directed primarily at those who are parents or guardians.

What You Don’t See ™ was developed by the Iowa Narcotics Officers Association as a response to a clearly identified public need for more youth interdiction training. Up to the point of development, the traditional efforts for drug response focused largely on reactionary approaches. With the ever-growing drug epidemic, analysis of the people being arrested for narcotics-related offenses, and analysis of the people over-dosing from narcotics, it was evident we needed a solution to divert and redirect youth behaviors to offer a prevention solution. The objective for What You Don’t See™ was two-fold. First, the INOA wanted to intercept today’s youth before they become addicts who transition into adulthood. Studies show that long-term use of any addictive substance is harder to change as the pattern continues. By catching the behaviors at a younger age, we would be able to save lives by changing the behavior. The secondary objective for this program was to build relationships between the law enforcement agencies hosting the project and the communities they serve by opening a dialogue and creating interaction and stronger communities.

The What You Don’t See ™ project was funded in part by Sammons Financial and Karl Chevrolet and technical support was provided in conjunction with Des Moines Area Community College. The result of this effort has been a mobile training trailer that is available to law enforcement agencies across Iowa that have personnel who are members of the INOA.