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Dozens Of Camden Students Complete Gang Resistance Program With Police

CAMDEN, NJ. (CBS) -- Students at Dudley Elementary School in Camden were celebrated Wednesday for graduating from an anti-gang program held by the police.

Each of the 55 students received a certificate for completing the Gang Resistance Education and Training Program with Detective Steven Randall.

"It teaches about gangs, bullying, violence," Randall said. "It teaches how to control your anger, communication techniques and decision-making."

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Students say there were many valuable lessons to take away from their time with Detective Randall.

"The thing that I really learned from this program is that being part of a gang is bad. They stab you in the back."

anti gang program
(credit: Mike Dougherty)

"Now I know not to do bad things like smoke, talk to strangers, take guns away from other people."

Ashley Kennard is happy her daughter went through the program.

"I just hope these kids are on the right path," she said, "because the area we live in is not good today."

And she hopes the schools provide more after-school programs to help keep kids away from bad influences in the neighborhood.

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