Dear Neighbor, After two rewarding years, my term as the twelfth president of the Greater Austin Crime Commission recently ended. Board members elected Eddie Margain to lead the organization in its twenty-fifth year, and a future focused on public safety training resources. Eddie and his family have made Austin their home for more than a decade. He… Read more »
Longhorn Leaders
The Greater Austin Crime Commission and University of Texas School of Social Work developed the Longhorn Leaders youth outreach program in cooperation with the university’s Athletic Department and the Austin Independent School District. The program is designed to communicate the importance of academic and personal success with middle school students. During the semester, each university student makes several personal presentations at each school, emphasizing academic excellence and life “success” skills.
IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The program is designed to communicate the importance of academic and personal success with middle school students. During the semester, each university athlete makes several personal presentations at each school, emphasizing academic excellence and life “success” skills.
community outreach
The Longhorn Leaders program has generated an enthusiastic response from schools and has promoted positive community interaction between university athletes, students, parents, teachers, and law enforcement. The Greater Austin Crime Commission underwrites the costs of developing materials for the program, including trading cards for each athlete and a half-hour video documentary.
The program, created by Crime Commission board members Dr. Michael L. Lauderdale and Fred Ligarde, reaches seventh graders at a crucial developmental point, as decisions affect the transition into early adolescence. School failure, involvement with drugs, gangs, or other harmful activities, and delinquency begun in middle school often lead toschool dropout and discourage successful developmental transitions. Students at this age are susceptible to influences beyond the family, especially from peers and the popular media. The Longhorn Leaders program provides an alternative, positive message.
In the News
Neighborhood Network
March 23, 2022
Dear Neighbor, The Austin Police Department’s 145th cadet class starts Monday. More than eighty are expected to begin the training academy. A transitional training program for current police officers is scheduled for July and another regular academy for the fall. The Austin Police Department has 195 operational vacancies. The first phase of an Austin Police Department staffing research project… Read more »
Neighborhood Network
February 22, 2022
Dear Neighbor, Last week, Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced felony indictments against nineteen Austin police officers related to the riots during the summer of 2020. The charges carry prison sentences of five to ninety-nine years or life. There are legitimate questions about what evidence was presented to the grand jury. To ensure public confidence in the… Read more »