RUMFORD, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Teachers, parents, and local police are teaming up to "Keep Students Safe" in Rumford.
KSS was started four years ago at Mountain Valley High School after a large underage drinking bust just before graduation.
Every Wednesday, for about an hour, juniors and seniors gather with Rumford police sergeant, Tracey Higley, and Principal Matt Gilbert to talk openly about anything from safe relationships to drinking and driving.
KSS also incorporates real-life scenarios for the students, like mock crashes, an attorney from Hardy, Wolf & Downing to talk about how much a distracted crash will cost them, even the wreckage from an actual OUI crash in East Dixfield.
The idea is that the more often students hear the negatives, the more likely it is to stick in their minds. Sgt. Higley says over the years, he's seen an improvement in the students and the choices they make.
KSS is funded in part by the Rumford Police Department, donations, and by court fines paid by those who have made "bad decisions" in the past.
NEWS CENTER