By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News | Photos courtesy of the Price City Police Department

Sirens blared across the schoolyard at Creekview Elementary on Tuesday, April 15 – but not for the reasons you might think. 

The Price City Police Department, as a part of the conclusion of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program at Creekview, allowed fifth grade students to get a closer look at the department’s vehicles and equipment. Sergeant Kelly Maynes, SRO Officer Frankie Tapia and Ordinance Compliance Officer Shelby Sweet from PCPD alongside SRO Deputy Garrett Safley from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office gathered to provide students this up-close look.

Maynes explained the program: ” These programs are designed to help officers teach students about many different issues in our communities, such as drug use, internet safety, peer pressure and healthy decision-making. Each officer who teaches these programs goes through specialized training and certification for each program and spends several hours teaching over a 10 – to 12-week period during the school year.”

“This has been a tradition for the last several years that is always a highlight for the students,” said Sgt. Maynes. “Currently, the Price City Police has three officers who are certified DARE Instructors who have regularly taught classes over the years at Creekview and Castle Heights Elementary’s and Mont Harmon Middle School.”

Opening the presentation, Maynes showed off the different styles of body armor worn by officers. These included the lighter mesh vests and the heavier plate-carrying vests. Having students try on the plate vest, Maynes remarked,” Imagine wearing this all day, every day.”

The officers also demonstrated their Tasers, explaining the cartridge and charging system to the fifth graders. They also showed-off their restraints, such as handcuffs and restraint belts.

Rounding out the presentation, Maynes showed off the department’s many patrol vehicles. “We have a lot of equipment that we use every day, but we also have a lot of equipment within our vehicles,” shared Maynes. Showing off the police car’s loudspeaker and sirens, students stood in awe as the noise blared across the area. The children were then able to explore the interiors of the squad cars, exploring the intricacies of the equipment.

Maynes is no stranger to this program, starting his tenure teaching the program in 2004 with the Wellington Police Department.