BATON ROUGE – Those at the Baton Rouge Constable’s Office believe getting a grip on crime means steering kids away from it before it's too late. That’s why Constable Terrica Williams started a new mentoring program this week in hope of intercepting trouble before it starts.

“Our community needs guidance and it’s from the children. If we don’t guide them we will lose them,” said Williams.

Starting on Monday Williams took in five young men from ages 10 to 15 and introduced them to positive influences and experiences.

“We talk to them about a wide variety of things, but most importantly crime and making right choices,” said Williams.

So far, the group learned how to tie a necktie, they visited a courtroom and talked to law enforcement officers, all in just four days.

“What we have to do as leaders is do our part,” said Williams.

She chose to mentor those in the five year age span on purpose.

“A lot of kids are living in single parent homes, and the single parent has to work. By the age of 10 their parent is starting to trust them to stay at home alone. I’m leaving my child at home thinking he’ll stay at home but he’s probably sneaking out or he is going down the street to their friends house who has an older brother or uncle who is exposing these children to crime,” said Williams. “By the time they make 15 it’s too late.”

Williams posted about the free mentoring program on Facebook after a deadly Memorial holiday. On the first day, 30 parents signed up their kids. Now, 75 kids are eager to join. Williams, and her colleagues, are mentoring a new group each week.

“Even one of the kids that is here [Thursday] said I don’t want to leave. So I told his mom bring him back Monday, because if a kid is asking for help we should give it to them,” said Williams.

At the end of the week, the young boys learn about gun safety through a demonstration where a lieutenant shoots a watermelon to show how destructive pulling the trigger can be.

For more information about the program call 225-389-8358.