The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is on a mission to eliminate gangs in schools.

  • GRIP (Gang Resistance Intervention Program) created in August 2015
  • GRIP deputies work with kids in gangs or at-risk kids on an individual basis
  • Deputies believe they have prevented at least 80 kids from being affiliated with gangs

In August 2015, with the help of the Department of Justice and Polk County Schools, the Sheriff's Office created GRIP, or the Gang Resistance Intervention Program.

“Our goal is to dismantle the gang. Our goal is to work with mom, dad, neighbors, school officials, and build trust. We want to send a clear message,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “We tell the kids you are going to behave. From your living room to your classroom and the community in between. If you don’t, there are consequences. But if you’ll work with us, we’ll show you a path to be successful and we’ll mentor, coach and teach you along the way.”

GRIP deputies say they’ve made contact with more than 3,000 kids in gangs or at risk of joining one. They work with them on an individual basis, visiting their homes, checking their grades and enforcing a curfew. They also connect the kids to jobs.

“Here’s what we tell them: 'We want to be your best friend. We want to create an environment with the school board so that you’ll be successful, graduate, and have a great life,'” Judd explained. “'But if you violate your probation, if you don’t behave, we’ll be your worst enemy and the choice is yours.'”

Sheriff Judd said he’s amazed that the program is already having a major impact in its first year.

“When we can have gang members call my GRIP deputies up and say 'when are you going to come have lunch with me again?' When we have gang members come to us or we go to them and they say 'I want out.' When we have mothers or fathers calling, saying 'I need help' or 'thank you for helping,' we see that we’ve already pulled kids out of gangs,” Judd explained.

GRIP deputies believe they have prevented at least 80 kids from being affiliated with gangs since the start of the program.