RI Elks honor Amerantes with Enrique Camarena Drug Awareness Award

Matt Bower
Posted 11/20/14

Pilgrim High School Resource Officer Dennis Amerantes received a prestigious honor when he was awarded earlier this fall by the Rhode Island State Elks Association with the Enrique S. Camarena Drug …

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RI Elks honor Amerantes with Enrique Camarena Drug Awareness Award

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Pilgrim High School Resource Officer Dennis Amerantes received a prestigious honor when he was awarded earlier this fall by the Rhode Island State Elks Association with the Enrique S. Camarena Drug Awareness Award.

Enrique Camarena was an 11-year veteran agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the Mexican Drug Cartel in 1985. 

According to a press release, “This award in his name is awarded by the Elks through their Drug Awareness Program to a member of the law enforcement who best exemplifies the qualities and principles for which Agent Camarena gave his life.”

Amerantes, who received the award during a ceremony on Sept. 11 for his work with the youth of Warwick in an effort to keep children drug-free, said he was humbled and honored to receive the award.

“It’s an important award because of who it represents, an agent killed in the line of duty,” he said. “I’m one of 46 officers selected in the U.S. It means a lot to me.”

Amerantes said he wanted to thank everyone for their efforts to make this happen.

“I’m very appreciative,” he said.

Amerantes, the Rhode Island state winner, was nominated for the award by Lori Ashness of the Coventry/West Greenwich Elks #2285.

“The Rhode Island State Elks congratulate Officer Amerantes for his leadership in the anti-drug and drug awareness expertise and leadership and thank him for his service,” the release states.

A Coventry resident and 27-year veteran of the Warwick Police Department, Amerantes has been involved in anti-drug and drug prevention awareness for many years. He has been the community services division/school resource officer at Pilgrim for 10 years, and is also an active duty Air Force veteran. He was instrumental in the Rhode Island National Guard Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) Program from 2000 to 2012 and also serves as a member of Mayor Scott Avedisian’s Substance Abuse Task Force Committee. He most recently assisted the 2013 Pilgrim “After Prom Extravaganza.”

Amerantes said he loves working with the faculty, administration and students at Pilgrim.

“A lot of the students are down-to-earth and good kids,” he said. “I enjoy helping them with their problems.”

While some may think that job has its share of challenges, Amerantes doesn’t see it that way.

“It’s more of an enjoyment, coming to work and working with these people,” he said. “I try to help students make the right decisions and talk common sense into them. I try to get them to see that nothing good comes from using drugs.”

RI State Elks Drug Awarness Chairman Mark Eaton said school officers like Amerantes serve a very important role because they are someone that kids want to talk to and see as someone they can trust.

“It’s a pretty big role now, there’s a lot of involvement,” Eaton said. “To walk that line and not cross it either way is tough.”

Eaton said Amerantes earned the award both for his work both on and off the job.

“He volunteers in the Coventry awareness program and the work he does through the [RI National] Guard, he deserves it,” he said. “It’s doubtful that any of his peers will get that award.”

Eaton said the award originated in California and one officer per state receives it every year.

“No one in Warwick has received it in the last 15 years,” he said.

Eaton said the Elks Drug Awareness Program is the largest drug awareness program in the U.S.

“Most people don’t realize that,” he said. “The most susceptible student to drugs is a ninth-grade girl, so we have a speaker coming in May to spend four days talking to the middle schools to hopefully get to them before it’s too late.”

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