The Village of Bluffton, Ohio | Departments

Programs

SAFETYPUP

National Child Safety Council's Safetypup Program

Our Police Department has teamed up with the National Child Safety Council in the Safety Pup Program. The program involves Preschoolers through Fourth grade. The program is funded through area business and private sponsors as well. The donors have help supply the kids with books, stickers, and other items given out during the set program time.

The Safety Pup program is set up to start between March and May due to testing and other springtime events held by the schools. The Officer presenting the materials will spend twenty to thirty minutes in the class educating the children on safety and answering questions. The curriculum presented is age-appropriate. The children learn safety, stranger danger, police officers and safety friends, bike safety, safe walking and riding, and the appropriate time to use the 9-1-1 system.

The safety pup program is a great way to teach the children safety, and the students look forward to it every year. While in the classroom, there is a Safety Pup puppet used to support the program. In our community programs and parades, Safety Pup mascot is brought out to help the community recognize and show support of the program.

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A.L.I.C.E
Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate

Beginning in 2010, police officers began working with representatives of our local school district to train on an innovative way of dealing with hostile situations in the schools. While Bluffton continues to remain a safe and tranquil community, being prepared to quickly react and handle potentially violent encounters may mean the difference between being a victim of circumstances, or controlling them. For that reason, our department is offering this training to better prepare our school staff in the unlikely event of a hostile act. The acronym ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate.

Parents and citizens can know that their children are in the hands of the most competently trained staff possible when considering if such events could occur locally.

This training is not specific to a school setting, and can be adapted to fit any commercial or industrial setting.

Please feel free to contact the police department for further details.

D.A.R.E.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education

Bluffton Police Department has recently added an Officer certified to teach the D.A.R.E. curriculum and is working with the Allen County D.A.R.E. Officer. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education is for our fifth graders, but the program is designed to cover kindergarten through Twelfth grade.

D.A.R.E. teaches the kids to use the D.A.R.E. decision making to make better choices in life situations. The curriculum's foundation is theory, and the students are presented with facts to help guide them as they make a choice. The students are made aware that there are consequences to their decisions, whether they are good or bad. The curriculum includes bullying, how to handle stress, non-verbal and verbal communications, and drug and alcohol abuse.

Bluffton Police depart supporters of the program have contributed to financing the tee shirts made with the sponsors on the back and other materials needed for the year.

Man putting a bike helmet on kid's head.

BIKE SAFETY

Since 2017 Bluffton Police department partnered with Bluffton Pediatrics, and Bike Craze L.L.C. has put on a Bicycle Rodeo for kids K-6 grade.

The Rodeo is set up to help teach kids A.B.C.'s, Safety while riding, rules of the road, and skills. After the kids make it through all the events, including an educational session, they will enjoy a fun ride that is set up as part of the course. They must pass a test at their level: helmets, Prizes, Bike Lights, and snacks donated through the community.