Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

A group of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers are dedicating some of their off-duty time to help school kids overcome the problems that violence and substance abuse can bring.

Started in 1995 by Sgt. Clark Paris, C.R.A.V.E. (Cops Racing Against Violence through Education) has awarded four scholarships to deserving high school graduates who have demonstrated a positive community involvement.

C.R.A.V.E. is a non-profit organization with the goal of helping educate elementary age school kids as well as teenagers about the dangers of violence and substance abuse. The program is funded entirely by sponsorships and donations by the community members and local businesses.

Today C.R.A.V.E is under the direction of Sgt. Scott Karkos, Officer Adam Robbins, Officer Barry Lagan, Officer Troy Wayne and Officer Glenn Guy. The C.R.A.V.E. team visits local schools in the community as well as other special requests to promote the idea that kids can do what is right and still win.

The mission of C.R.A.V.E. is to provide the members of our community with the best educational, non-profit organization by increasing their awareness of the dangers of substance abuse and gang violence. We wish to promote cultural diversity by touching the lives of our citizens and establishing honest lines of communication. The intent is to show our young adults that their successes in life are only limited by their desire to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Violence and substance abuse only will impair their ability to attain these goals.

Dwarf Cars are 5/8 replicas of 1930-1948 vintage cars. These cars have full steel roll cages, sheet metal bodies, tunable racing suspension and are powered by four cylinder motorcycle engines between 750ccand 1250cc. These cars easily can achieve more than 100 mph on the straight-aways. These cars race on 1/4 mile and 1/3 mile dirt tracks but can race on paved ovals as well.

Team C.R.A.V.E. belongs to the Southern Nevada Dwarf Car Association and races primarily at Pahrump and Mohave Valley, Ariz., along with races in Marysville, Bakersfield and San Diego Calif., Phoenix and as far away as Medford Ore. Racing is done bi-monthly nine months of the year and all racing and maintenance is done on the officers' free time.

C.R.A.V.E. is about to start its third year racing Dwarf Cars as well as continue to give away a scholarship to a worthwhile high school senior. Past scholarship winners are doing very well, with Leigh Ann Wallace pulling in a 3.96 GPA at UNLV. Ann Yu and Victoria Bowman are doing well, too. They have expressed their thanks to those who donated the funds as do those of us involved with C.R.A.V.E. The funds have been put to very good use.

C.R.A.V.E. participated in five school shows last year as well as four community events. It has been a wonderful experience. We have distributed anti-gang material to parents, children and schoolteachers at the schools, Belz Mall, and the Boulder City July 4 parade, where C.R.A.V.E. received the best float for a non-profit organization. Thanks to Barry Lagan, Troy Wayne, and Don Wayne Trucking for making this happen.

This year will be a little different for the race team as C.R.A.V.E. has more modern cars to race in. There also will be races at Mesquite as well as Pahrump and Mohave Valley. This year the Nationals will be in Mesquite as well. Last year Sgt.Karkos placed 13th in the points race, despite missing the last points races because to a wreck that took his car out for the remainder of the season.

C.R.A.V.E. thanks the following people and businesses for their help and donations:

Don Wayne Trucking
Joan's 7-11
United Way
United Machine
and the men and women of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who have donated through United Way to C.R.A.V.E.

For more information, you can write to:

C.R.A.V.E.
PMB 306
1973 N. Nellis
Las Vegas NV 89115-3467

Phone: 217-2751