From left to right: Somerville Junior Police Academy, District Attorney Ryan, Deputy Chief Caribino, Captain Stiltner.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan recently visited 30 campers in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade at the Somerville Junior Police Academy to teach them about how they can make smart choices when confronted with important decisions. District Attorney Ryan was joined by Captain David Stiltner of the Somerville Fire Department and Deputy Chief Steve Caribino of the Somerville Police Department.

District Attorney Ryan spoke about good decision making and offered preventative tips on how to address potentially challenging situations that adolescents may find themselves in. District Attorney Ryan reminded youth that the best way of staying out of trouble is valuing themselves and their relationships. The children reflected on the relationships that they are proudest of.

As part of the program, District Attorney Ryan provided the campers with a series of hypothetical situations they may encounter in their daily lives and during interactions with their friends and peers. Campers then described their rationales for how they would approach the different scenarios and made determinations as to what they believe would be the safest and healthiest response.

The visit was part of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Smart Choices Program, a county-wide initiative, which focuses on educating children on good decision making before they are faced with hard decisions.