YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT WAR ON DRUGS

Drugs and what they can do to a person. It's a point that Sherman police
drive home as often as they can to people of all ages, and those of the
Sherman Public Safety Youth Academy got such information at its Tuesday
night class, led by Sherman PD Lt. Carl Hudman, criminal investigation
division commander, and K-9 officers Jeremy Jones and Tim Gann. Even Harro,
Jones' patrol dog, demonstrated how he fights in the ever-going war.

Hudman showed the students pictures of many people whose physical health
and lives were destroyed by illegal drug use. There were occasionally
"before" and "after" pictures that demonstrated a person had lost teeth or
whose face had lost all texture and weathered like an octogenarian. He also
surprised the students with a unique look at surveillance equipment used in
watching drug dealers in action.

Gann brought out much of the equipment he and his K-9 partner, Oskar, use
and explained the differences between the need for short harnesses and long
harnesses, the training constantly required, and more about article,
building, and vehicle searches, tracking, and bite work. "But narcotics are
what is mainly done with these dogs," Gann explained.

Outside, Jones ran Harro through a search for narcotics, specially planted
for the demonstration, then he and Gann took turns showing how they keep
their dogs trained to bite on command. Harro showed his tough side,
attacking whichever trainer had on the bite sleeve, but became a submissive
and loving darling for the students to pet safely afterward.

Sandra Sibria, 18, and Jasmine Carter, 16, are both seniors at Sherman High
School and were both on the front line of the night's class, as they are
every time.

Sandra has her five-year plan - and maybe longer - into the future mapped
out. She's testing for U.S. Air Force service by taking an ASFAB test this
week, which, simply speaking, is a military pre-test which tells what a
person is good at and, the higher the score, the more opportunities open
for the recruit. An A-B student, Sandra is still nervous about it, she
said. "If the grade is really high, I get to pick what career I want to go
into." said Sandra. She expects to leave in August, after graduating from
Sherman High School.

Jasmine plans to become a Certified Public Accountant and has started
classes at Sherman H.S. that will help her toward that career. Another A-B
student, Jasmine skipped her junior year and, at 16, is among the youngest
people in the senior class. After graduation, she also wants to travel
before settling in and is still considering a future as a police officer as
well. She's lived in Sherman, off and on, she said, but this time for only
about 6 months and has made her home with her grandmother. "I've been
living with her almost all my life," Jasmine said."

Both young women have much in common - the first is they've both survived
less-than-ideal backgrounds which set them on paths of achievement and
success. Both young ladies plan to use the negative sides of their
childhoods to help others as they can, sort of like a good friend who's
been through something that someone else has just experienced.

If they've not learned anything through the SPSYA, they both have learned
the importance of teamwork, coupled with communication. Regarding an
earlier class in which SPSYA went to the Sherman Fire Department's training
tower and learned about water hoses, they said it wasn't just about the
hoses. "We had to move together and talk to each other to win," Sandra said.

But they've learned a lot more than that.

Jasmine talked about Tuesday's class, saying that, "Drugs can be really
dangerous and kill you the first time used. There's no experimenting with
them." She said she understands people are curious about drugs, but she has
no reason to want to try them. Tears preceded words when she spoke of the
several people who have died recently in Texoma in car wrecks.

"When I read newspapers and watch the TV news, and learn about kids
drinking and driving, it upsets me that kids are dying because of doing
this stuff. If they learned what drugs can do for you and to your brain..."
and Sandra picked up as if the girls had been ending each other's sentences
for years, "It makes me so sad, not only that they are dying, they are also
killing other people."

Sandra said she's been around drug use, but never wanted to try it. "I
don't feel it necessary. There's no point. Why?," she said. "I've heard it
so many times. 'Oh, just do it once.' People say that, but they keep going
and going on drugs."

Sandra talked about how she talked herself into rappelling. "When I get in
the Air Force, I've got to gut up, so why not start now?," she said. "It
was fun. I liked it."

Already an independent person, Sandra is on the Sherman H.S. varsity soccer
team, president of the Spanish Club, and active in Nike, a community
service group that Jasmine also joined. She has purchased her own vehicle,
with one payment left, buys her own gasoline and insurance by working at a
Sherman department store.

Jasmine is getting back into extra-curricular activities after returning to
Sherman to live. One of the first groups she's joined is SPSYA. "It's a
good group and I like the people in it." But, being a young senior has her
placing academics as her priority.

So, of all the people they've met through SPSYA, who's impressed them the
most? They were, without hesitation, in agreement that it was Sherman
Police Lt. Steve Ayers.

"He's cool how he dedicates part of his time to us and talks to us about
everything and really wants to be with us and show us a little bit about
what he does," both girls said in rapid fire, making it impossible to know
which was talking at which time. "A lot of people will put in a little part
of their time with us, but he really enjoys it and us. He's easy to talk to."

Sandra said Ayers was the "first person I talked to about going into the
military. He said 'Go for it.' Others weren't supportive like that. He gave
information, he shared his experience, and then he let me make the decision."

"He's dedicated and he impresses me and makes me want to be a police
officer because he enjoys it," Jasmine said. "He likes teaching us all
about this stuff."

About SPSYA, the young ladies also had a strong and unanimous opinion. "We
want everyone to have the education. Our society today is corrupting
because many parents are not involved in their children's lives. They need
to know what their kids are doing and what their kids are involved in at
school and after school."

"I wish we could go through it more than just this one time," Sandra added.

The academy has only three classes left, plus family day and graduation.
Tuesday night, they will be back at the Sherman FD training toward grounds
to learn about ladder use.

[sidebar picture caption]

Harro became the hero Tuesday night to Sherman Public Safety Youth Academy
students after Sherman K-9 Officer Jeremy Jones put him through
demonstrations of how patrol dogs work. Harro then sat down and enjoyed the
strokes like a regular, non-working dog. The ball Harro is holding in his
mouth is his reward for work well done.