Minot's Trading Card Program Promotes Safety Issues

Project Characteristics Program Areas Promote Safety Issues Motor Vehicle Safety Safe Communities Targeted Audience Jurisdiction Youth Community

Goals

• Promote safety issuess

Strategies

Trading cards are used to promote a number of issues such as alcohol, tobacco and drug use, bicycle safety and motorcycle safety including motor vehicle safety, with particular emphasis on occupant protection and CPS. It is a positive and creative means of encouraging interaction between area youth and law enforcement, while promoting important safety issues. A local police officer, Margie Zietz adopted the idea from another police department. She viewed this concept as an opportunity to educate the public about police officers in a positive manner. The Safe Communities program viewed it a unique opportunity to promote safety issues to youth at the community level. Each batch of trading cards promoted a different safety focus, enhancing the May Mobilization in 2002 and a drug, alcohol and tobacco effort through a Community Action grant this spring/summer.

The program is now self-sufficient. Citizens from the community are involved in and have a voice in the decision-making of the safety issues addressed. Various businesses and organizations have been solicited to partake in the program

Results

• Local youth express interest in the program, as do the police officers themselves
• Other law enforcement agencies have been invited to partake and the program has been accepted with enthusiasm