The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring a new program called (GRIP). GRIP is a program created by the sheriff’s office to increase young adolescence awareness of various community and safety issues.

In January 2005 Citizens United Against Violence was created in response to many parents concern that neighborhood children did not have the opportunity to participate in positive activities sponsored by the city and county. In response to this concern the Sheriff’s department created this program to target 10 high-risk neighborhoods and targeting children between the ages of 10-19.

Every day throughout the summer the GRIP program will visit two neighborhoods and participate in daily activities including Basketball games sponsored by the PC Cruisers and the Boy Scouts of America. Each event will have an underlying crime prevention message such as DARE and gun safety or fire safety.

Also 1 day each week the GRIP program will hold a "block party" in each of the 10 targeted neighborhoods where they will have mounted patrols and food to bring the entire community out to participate and create a bond.

To publicize the event officials will canvas the neighborhoods to collect permission slips and pass out flyers to alert the community of its presence.

The goal of the program is to allow children to form a relationship with law enforcement officials and inform them of various ways of protecting themselves and the community.