KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree is doing his part to re-calibrate the scales of justice, with the idea that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
To help, Dupree launched an initiative named BOLDD in August 2017.
B.O.L.D.D. stands for “Brilliant, Outstanding, Leaders, Determined to make a Difference.”
In the program, Dupree works closely with judges, lawyers and school districts across the county.
“Our job has simply been waiting until the body drops. Going into the courtroom, and doing our best to get a conviction. It’s not about waiting until the body drops, it’s about trying to be preventative,” Dupree said.
Dupree’s office has teamed up with middle and high schools across Wyandotte County.
“And not just education or reading, arithmetic and science,” he told 41 Action News in a recent interview.
“It’s educating them to the reality of what the criminal justice system will have to do if you step in this thing.”
Each participating school will have five students serving as liaisons to Dupree’s office, with students helping to coordinate programs every quarter.
Students will also be able to sit in on actual court hearings, giving them exposure to the criminal justice system.
And after analyzing a full year’s worth of data, Dupree and his team will know what crimes young people are most likely to fall victim to in Wyandotte County.
“Letting them know, these are the things when you go into high school, you need to look out for.”
Dupree says these efforts will cut down on crime and reduce recidivism.
“If the only education they’re getting is just stay away from the police, that’s not it.”
