Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Choice Program
The Choice Program, which is offered completely free of charge, was created in 2005 by Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins in his role as the then-Chief of External Affairs and Communications.
Our Choice Program consists of a cadre of specially trained officers who, upon their completion of 40 hours of required training, travel to schools throughout Suffolk County to encourage children to respect themselves and others while preparing for their futures, tackling such themes as violence, the value of schoolwork, bullying, peer-pressure, personal responsibility, public safety, and more.
The presentation, which is typically given to students in grades 4-12, is primarily focused on middle schools and completed during one class period in a classroom setting. The Choice Program can be tailored towards age/grade and topics that best suit students’ needs, with officers emphasizing the overarching themes described above, and discussing how making the right choices, respecting others and having self-respect can positively impact their future.
The program also offers a Civics component, which was created in response to cutbacks in funding for school programming that resulted in a diminished number of schools offering such subject matter.
For information about how you can book the Choice Program for your school, community center, or program, contact Sergeant Stacey Wood at (617) 704-6672 and
sw***@sc****.org
, or Deputy Tom Maguire at (617) 704-6686 and
tm******@sc****.org
in our External Affairs Division External Affairs Division.
