Keeping the peace

FALLBROOK — The Peace Patrol at Fallbrook’s Live Oak Elementary School has won the San Diego Regional Hate Crimes Coalition’s (SDRHCC) first annual ‘Unity in Action’ contest. The award was presented to the Peace Patrol and the school on November 3. Members of the Peace Patrol survey the campus at lunch time in order to keep problems at a minimum and identify areas that may need adult intervention.

The SDRHCC’s Unity in Action contest was developed as a way to recognize programs in the schools that promote unity, diversity and/or tolerance. The coalition found that there are many excellent programs in San Diego County.

“Live Oak Elementary has found a great way to reward positive social behavior with their Peace Patrol program,” said SDRHCC Chair Natasha Cortina, a California Deputy Attorney General. “The coalition is very proud that the school and the students are part of San Diego’s rich and diverse community.”

“Since a large majority of hate crimes or bias-related incidents are committed by adolescents it is vital that such programs exist,” said SDRHCC Vice-Chair Lea Fields, a San Diego Deputy City Attorney. “We hope that this contest will inspire other schools to develop similar programs.”