She was also recognized for having donated the most hours ever to that community, and for having worked over 900 hours on youth-related programs. The awards were given at a ceremony held in MartineZ, California, in December. I was so surprised, since I don't think about what I do in terms of recognition. I was shocked to learn that I was recommended by Lt. Hunt of the Sheriff's Office. Gomes' work includes setting up 60 Neighborhood Watch programs in the town of Oakley, and coordinating a total of approximately 95 groups for the Klaas Foundation for Children.
Police are by definition usually reactive.
We teach everyday people to work together to prevent crime, rather than just relying on law enforcement to respond to it. Often, citizens want to know what police are going to do about crime. But they need to realize that it's got to start at home. A lot of children don't feel that they have a future. We try to get out and educate people to take away that fear factor for their kids.