Pacifica Schools, Police Partner for Red Ribbon Week

Pacifica elementary schools - in partnership with the Pacifica Police Department - kicked off Red Ribbon Week Saturday, October 22nd, to raise awareness of drug prevention and to commemorate the work Enrique Camarena, a former Drug Enforcement Agency special agent.

“By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enriqué “Kiki” Camarena,” according to a statement from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) website.

Camarena was an 11-year veteran of the DEA whose work in Guadalajara, Mexico followed the operations of a multi-million dollar drug pipeline which Camarena was on the heels of ending when he was kidnapped and killed by drug traffickers in 1985.

Since 1985, Red Ribbon Week has grown to be the largest and oldest drug prevention program in the United States, according to the DEA statement.  

“Drugs and alcohol are available everywhere and every community has an obligation to prevent that from reaching our youth,” said Jim Tasa, Pacifica Police Chief.

This year, Crime Prevention Officer Pete Olinger has coordinated with elementary schools in the city to participate in the national campaign.

Schools will conduct educational programs, and individual classes will be decorating their classroom doors with a “Drug Free - The California Way to Be” theme, according to a press release from the police department.

According to Olinger, participating elementary schools include , , , , and . , a private, Christian elementary school, and Good Shepard, a private, Catholic K-8 school, will also be participating.   

is the only elementary school in the district that will not be observing Red Ribbon Week activities.

“It’s really a school effort, but parents also get involved and it just helps everybody in the community,” said Olinger, who has helped facilitate the campaign for two years now.

Olinger, along with two other Pacifica police officers, will visit each school during the week to engage in classroom talks about drug prevention.

Along with in-class activities, school doors - decorated in the “Drug Free - The California Way to Be” theme - will be judged, and six winners will be awarded.

Two local businesses donated prizes: three large pizzas from Luigi’s Pizza, and six large cakes from The French Patisserie.

Chief Tasa said the door decorations are just a conversation piece for the larger issue at hand.

“Using alcohol and drugs isn’t a healthy environment for youth to be in. We want to continue to put that message out there,” he said.

Pacifica School District offices could not be reached for comment.