Back to School w/ XXX Sheriff’s Office
On August 21, 2012, the first day of school in XXX County, the Sheriff’s Office Command Staff will be present at all Elementary Schools in the county to welcome students to the new school year.
The Command Staff will greet the children and assist with getting them to their classes if needed. This will help the children learn that law enforcement officers are there to help them should they ever need help and to make them feel at ease approaching a deputy.
The XXX School System is excited about joining forces with the Sheriff’s Office to get the new academic year off to a great safe start.
That is the email I just received from my children’s principal. As some of you know my husband and I have been having an on going dialog with school officials and have been pushing the county pretty hard on doing more proactive things to keep the kids safer. I am not sure what I think of this yet, but I think it is interesting. I do like having an armed presence on campus, even if it is only for one day.
I think this is fantastic on a few levels. First, it’s wonderful that the Sheriff’s Dept. has enough in their budget for this. Even if it’s just for one day, it will show the kids that “Mr. Policeman is Your Friend”- that’s the motto we were taught waaaay back in the day..even in high school. We were taught that when things went wrong, we were to tell an adult and call the police. We were so old school, 911 didn’t exist.
Second, it will give the kids a chance to see the cops as the good guys. From what I’ve seen (job-related and community-related) little kids think cops are cool, and their cars are way cool! This is an opportunity to spread a little cop love. Some kids will just run up to our cops and start asking questions. I watch the ones who don’t run up. They stand back and just stare. I go to those and say “Hey, wanna see all the cool stuff the cop carries on his belt?” These kids are curious, but aren’t sure if this cop is a good guy or not. Frequently, the kids have already met the cops under less than ideal circumstances. As in, I have a few files on their parents, and maybe even some for the kids. (when I say I have files, means someone has been charged with a crime.)
Sadly, my impoverished little county doesn’t have enough $$$ to have school liason officers. The schools want the cops there, the cops want to be there, but the county thinks it’s more important to spend $40,000.00 on a new truck. That’s more than an deputy’s wages.
Sorry to hijack you post, but I wanted to show you the passion behind the “WAY TO GO, AGIRL & MR. AGIRL” major props to you. This could be the start of something big. Maybe having an officer there just on a part time basis…just enough so that the community and those bad guys who can read will know that your school has a police presence.
What is most important is the example you are setting for others. You don’t just put your kids on the cheese wagon (bus) and let the school worry about your kids till 3 pm. You are showing the school that you care, not just about your own kids, but all kids. And you are showing the school that you won’t be placated. Keep rattlin’ those chains!
Thanks for your input.
I have no evidence whatsoever that anything my husband and I have been doing has had any impact at all, but we keep trying:)
I like it. I for one advocate for more police presence in our neighborhoods/ communities. Just think if an officer stopped and took the time to shoot some hoops with a group of kids, or took the time to have an Ice cream cone with them at the Ice Cream truck, or stopp at the little league practice and pitch an inning… (Maybe I’m too Mayberry) but just think of the bond made and intel the could/would gather.
I agree with you. There were a lot of community based policing structures like this, but funding has been cut (big surprise). Our schools have a School Resource Officer from the police department, but not until middle school – by that time the kids’ opinions of the police have already been formed and it feels punitive to them.
Image the good it would do to have police officers reading with kinders! Hanging out at recess with them! But then people would complain that we were wasting tax-payers’ money by paying cops to play with kids – those people are absolutely short-sided.
Wow that’s great. I’m just thinking back over the last 32 years and many of the police “command staff” I’ve known. This is how many of them would have done it.
First don’t arrive to the office until 0930 or later. Then take an hour coffee break and BS with other “command staff” telling old cop stories from the one year they actually worked in patrol.
2nd: Go back to the office and return phone calls…mostly telling citizens something like:”I’ll make sure that officer never does that again.”
3rd. then go to luch for a few hours…maybe a few rounds of golf if the weather is good.
then be gone the rest of the day– if anybody ask” He/she is at a meeting at…bla bla bla”
Then if they actually showed up at the school, somebody would have to show then where to go- maybe a few third graders would help them out.
Hoping they never have to actually get in a gun fight since the last time many of them even showed up at the range was 3 years ago.
Good ‘community’ policing, and a good idea to ‘show’ the kids that cops are not to be feared! And ‘maybe’ your pushing helped!!! 🙂
Awesome. The new building I’m working at this year has an officer who (I believe) is full time at the school. I admit to feeling much reassured!
Good!!
I dunno…maybe just me I guess. Seems to me parents could be doing a better job also. I know I am preaching to the choir here but some families, well a lot of them appear to have no time or idea on how to educate their kids re LEO’s. That and our society as a whole appear to have forgotten the idea of respect. Be that private property or anything that is outside their little enclave or family. Sad, If that could only be turned aroumd…… but I think that horse is already out of the barn. Ok…do I think this is a good thing? Maybe. What I don’t like about it is the control factor or perhaps the idea of the protection. I’m not saying there should be no “protection”….but it seems to me along with the officers teaching the kids they are there for them there ought to be a equal effort made to start theaching the kids that they (the kids) are also expected to provide some of that “protection” themselves. Why? Look aroulnd you. Look at all the sheeple that have the view that the police will protect them. Maybe or maybe not they will be there to do that BUT there are no guarantees. Imho, there is nothing wrong with teaching kids to be aware of their surroundings, be aware of the possible creep in the car following them….that sort of thing.
I’m undecided about this.
Yes, having kids be comfortable enough to go to the police in times of need is good. However, there is an old saying: familiarity breeds contempt.
I used to love doing this. Of course I was never command staff so I’m going to have to echo CI here. I’ve never seen such before but I wholeheartedly support it. Admin never believes line staff about what’s going on out there nor where and what the issues are. Having them where the parents can put a bug in their ears is a goodness thing.
Well if you were at mupy kids school, I would absolutely feel good about it:)
Hey, it may not be much…but its a small step in the right direction! At least *someone* somewhere is thinking about the kids. It may be just one day, but its at least one more day than the school had last year.
Wouldn’t need them if students could still keep rifles in their pickups……..
Yeah. In general I have had very positive experiences with police officers and I think most of them are doing a great job, but I hate to have the entire county rely on the one officer in each school. We have asked teacher after teacher and not a single one has given the same answer as what they are suppose to do if an active shooters enters the school. Most are just as frustrated as we are.