Northfield officer receives drug education award

NORTHFIELD – Kyle Dombrowski, police officer at Northfield Police Department, was awarded New Hampshire Instructor of the Year from Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence, a nationwide nonprofit that works with communities to help students understand the dangers of drugs and violence.

Dombrowski received the award, which was announced at L.E.A.D.’s ninth annual 21st Century Drug and Violence Prevention Training Conference in Orlando, Florida, due to his work educating students on the proven effective curriculum implemented by L.E.A.D. during the school day.

“Officer Dombrowski’s award is well deserved. We congratulate him on an outstanding job helping to protect students from the dangers of drugs and violence,” said L.E.A.D. CEO Nick DeMauro. “His dedication toward teaching children in Northfield about the importance of drug and violence prevention is helping us to continue accomplishing our goal of strengthening police-community relationships.”

Officer Dombrowski teaches L.E.A.D. to students in the fourth grade, typically consisting of three to four classes with about 20 kids per class, at Southwick School. He said the most fulfilling aspect about the L.E.A.D. program is the positive attitudes the students have toward him and the curriculum.

“Nothing makes my day more than when I walk into the school and the kids are enthusiastically screaming my name with big smiles on their faces as they’re excited for me to begin teaching the L.E.A.D. class,” said Dombrowski. “I think the students enjoy the variety from normal class work and the interactive games and plays incorporated into the program. Also, I think it’s cool for the children that they get to ask us questions, especially about all the unfamiliar things that we have on our belts and vests, and learn more about what we do.”

By teaching the L.E.A.D. program, Dombrowksi said he hopes he’s giving the kids a familiar face and another trusted adult in their lives.

“A focal point in the curriculum is teaching the students to seek help from an adult that they trust in unfamiliar, scary situations to prevent themselves from getting into trouble,” he said. “Since I’ve become another person in the kids’ lives that they can come to when they need guidance, and I’ve also taught them a decision-making process to use when faced with difficult situations, I’m confident that they’ll be well equipped to avoid circumstances involving alcohol, drugs and violence in the future.”