'Gangster Redemption'

'Gangster Redemption': From Ex-Con to Honorary Police Officer
How the Story of Jewel Robber Larry Lawton Shows People Can Change


By Michael Ireland
Special Reporter, ASSIST News Service

LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO (ANS) -- On August 16, 2013, Larry Lawton will have finally come full circle -- from ex-convict to Honorary Police Officer, when he becomes an honorary member of the Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Police Department.

Former jewel robber Larry Lawton will join law enforcement next month.

Lawton was once known as one of the biggest jewel robbers in the United States, and spent 11 years in some of the toughest federal prisons in the United States. Since his release from Federal prison in 2007, Lawton developed the nationally recognized 'Reality Check Program.' He now tells teens and adults how he lost time, his family, friends and his freedom; and that it just wasn't worth it.

Lawton's passion makes him a leader in the field of helping young people understand that a life of crime is no life at all. Lawton helps change the way kids think, and says it's all about making good choices.

Lake Saint Louis Police Department Police Chief Mike Force, who served 22 years in the United State Marine Corps and has been Chief of Police for the for the last 21 years, has teamed up with his Assistant Chief of Police, Chris DiGiuseppi, and with Lawton to bring Lawton's Reality Check Program to the State of Missouri.

Chief Force and Lawton will soon kick start the Reality Check Program beginning in the City of L ake Saint Louis, and partnering with the local and state courts.

"I've spent over 30 years in law enforcement and have seen a great number of cases where our police agencies, courts and prisons are plagued with an ever increasing recidivism rate," said Force.

"The Reality Check Program fills a void that exists with regards to helping deter young people from entering the system for the first time and gives hope to those who were in dark place in their life. Larry Lawton is a man who has turned his life of crime toward a path of doing what's right and helping others stay out of trouble," he said.

"When Mike and I published 'The Light Bringer,' one of the main teaching points of the story was the concept that 'it's never too late to change and take the right path by helping others.' Larry Lawton is a real-life
example of that message," said DiGiuseppi.

St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar welcomed the partnership. He commented on the benefits of the program.

"Many people who come through the courts and go to prison are merely recycled and we often see them again. This program is a positive proactive attempt to make a difference and help aid law enforcement along with the courts which are overburdened by an endless caseload," he said.

Tony Linson, Lake Saint Louis Prosecuting Attorney, stated: "Locally, we are fortunate to have a generally safe community, but in order to maintain such we need solutions like the Reality Check Program that offer new approaches to those challenges we face as a growing City."

"Being a municipal judge and dealing with people who are having their first encounter with the judicial system, I typically encounter the beginning stages where young people start down the wrong path," said Lake Saint Louis Municipal Judge Dennis Chassaniol, who added: "It's refreshing to see a possible remedy to aid our youth and further public safety within our community."

The Reality Check Program is endorsed by Florida's 17th Lt. Governor Jeff Kottcamp, Congressman Bill Posey , Judges, Law Enforcement Agencies and families throughout the United States. The Program is used by The Department of Justice Weed and Seed Program, Florida's Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, Law Enforcement Agencies, Probation Departments and families all over the country.

An independent quantitative analysis by Brevard Community College
showed a 90 percent success rate with keeping teens out of jail, 70 percent had better attitudes, 43 percent had better school grades and 31 percent had better school attendance.

"I'm looking forward to becoming part of the Lake St. Louis Police Department and humbled to be working with all the proud men and women who serve this great city. To have the chance to help save others from enduring what I went through in prison is an honor and my true purpose," said Lawton.

This unlikely partnership between Lawton, Force and DiGiuseppi was forged through a common bond that all three of them have in being published authors and affiliated with the same publisher, HCI Books.

A lthough each started on different sides of the law, their mission is now the same in doing what's right and helping others in need.

For more information on Larry Lawton and The Reality Check Program, see www.lawton911.com. For information on Mike Force or Chris DiGiuseppi you can visit their website at www.thelightbringerbook.com.

Now an author, TV personality, speaker and Teen/Young Adult expert, Lawton's life story is depicted in the book "Gangster Redemption" which was co-written with 8 time NY Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock.

To view the independent quantitative analysis of the Reality Check Program visit http://alturl.com/8zqbg 

To hear Dan Wooding's Front Page Radio interview with Larry Lawton click here: http://www.assist-ministries.com/FrontPageRadio/FPR05.12.13LarryLawtonMono.mp3  

For interviews or further information about the Reality Check Program, Larry Lawton can be reached at larry@lawton911.com  or 321-327-2921.