Youth Assistance & Crime Prevention Programs

"Our Priority Is You"

Since late 2003, the Youth Assistance/Crime Prevention division has provided informational and safety programs for schools and other organizations in Johnson County.

Even before he gained his office, Sheriff Terry McLaughlin had a vision for a program that would help fulfill the need for child safety awareness in our county. Upon attaining his position, the sheriff soon appointed Deputy Brian Baird head of this endeavor, and thus began the development of the Johnson County Youth Assistance/Crime Prevention programs.

Sheriff McLaughlin and Deputy Baird envisioned not only that these programs work to save the lives of Johnson County’s children, but also that they be free of charge to schools and other organizations. The programs continue to grow each year as we become aware of more threats that endanger the well-being of our children. As you may gather from the pictures surrounding this text, the original venture has far exceeded the boundaries of simple programs.

The safety programs are directed primarily toward youth in kindergarten through the fourth grade. The core programs that this division offers include:

• Personal Safety
• Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Awareness
• Bullying and Violence
• Internet Safety
• Gun Safety

We also have programs dealing with Child Abduction Prevention and Making Choices/Recognizing Consequences. Nearly all of these programs are written and produced by this division and include a video portion that helps enhance the educational content.

Alongside our program presenters, we have "McGruff The Crime Dog" and "Ruger," the new Search and Recovery K-9 in Johnson County.

Ruger is the newest member of our team and is already winning the hearts of onlookers as our new mascot. He has already completed many successful Search and Recovery demonstrations for schools and other organizations. Ruger and his handler Beth are Certified for Search and Recovery and are continuing thier training with an organization named Indiana K-9 Search and Recovery. This is a group of professional volunteers who dedicate thier time and talents to serve the community by training, handling, and dispatching Search and Recovert K-9's to help locate missing people. We intend to use Ruger for this purpose while he continues to serve in our programs.

We look forward to hearing from you if you desire our services in your school or organization, if you need assistance in finding a missing person, or if you have any questions about our programs.

Direct Office Phone: 317-738-4946
Sheriff's Office: 317-738-9155
Fax: 317-738-9439
Direct Email: deputybaird@earthlink.net
Sheriff's Office: bbaird@co.johnson.in.us