Pubdate: Mon, 10 Oct 2005
Source: Courier-Journal, The (KY)
Copyright: 2005 The Courier-Journal
Contact:  http://www.courier-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97
Note: Source rarely prints LTEs received from outside its circulation area
Author: Alan Maimon

EYES ON THE BUS GO BACK AND FORTH, LOOKING FOR CRIME

Programs Train Drivers To Be Vigilant

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -- Tammy Logan had dropped off nearly all 79 
students in her Whitley County school bus when she saw three people 
breaking into a car in May.

She called the sheriff's department on her two-way radio, and 
deputies were on the scene within minutes.

It was all part of Whitley County's rolling Neighborhood Watch 
program, a growing effort in Kentucky and the rest of the country to 
enlist bus drivers as the eyes and ears of law enforcement.

Jefferson County, Ohio and Connecticut have trained drivers to 
recognize and report suspicious activity as part of an anti-terrorism effort.

And following Whitley County's lead, other Eastern Kentucky school 
districts are considering asking drivers to look for crime on their routes.

The Whitley program, which began in February, has led to several 
arrests and investigations, although officials would not provide details.

Several drivers, including Logan, said they support the program, 
although they worry about retaliation by suspects, especially if 
drivers are asked to testify in court. Logan and other bus drivers 
are not paid more than their $12-an-hour salary to participate in the program.

"I'm worried about my career and safety. They're going to want to 
find out who it was that called it in," said Logan, 41, who has 
driven a school bus for about five years and travels about 40 miles a 
day on her route. "It's like making buses a moving target."

Paul Hays, deputy law enforcement director for Operation UNITE, the 
anti-drug task force that conducted Whitley County's bus-driver 
training, said police hope driver tips won't necessarily require 
drivers to testify.

"We're not asking drivers to do anything that will put them in 
jeopardy," said Hays, adding that he wasn't familiar with Logan's 
situation. "The objective is to make sure our neighborhoods are safe 
and our kids are safe."

Hays declined to discuss specific cases, but Superintendent Lonnie 
Anderson said a bus driver's tip in February led to the seizure of 
more than 200 Xanax pills, three pounds of marijuana and a half-gram 
of methamphetamine from a car and home.

The driver who saw the illegal activity alerted police who came and 
made the arrest, sparing the driver from having to appear in court as 
a witness.

Anderson said he sees the program as "a great benefit to the 
community" with few downsides.

He said the safety of drivers and students would not be jeopardized.

"Our drivers have always been vigilant about safety, and they'll 
continue to be," Anderson said. "This doesn't change that in any way."

Brenda Hill, whose daughter Rebecca is a junior at Whitley County 
High School, said she believes the program can help put a dent in the 
county's drug problem.

"I'm all in favor of it, myself," said Hill, a member of the high 
school's site-based council. "The drivers have training on how to do 
this and know to let law enforcement do their jobs."

Looking For Drugs, Terrorism

In Jefferson County, about 1,100 drivers took a mandatory 
anti-terrorism class this summer on identifying suspicious packages 
and tampering with buses.

Rick Caple, the district's transportation director, said he believes 
all drivers are participating.

"Police can't be everywhere, so if there's something suspicious, we 
can let authorities know to check it out," Caple said.

Caple said his drivers are not encouraged to report street-level 
crimes unless the activity takes place around a bus stop or endangers 
a student.

Jefferson County drivers log about 85,000 miles a day. Caple said the 
district has not received any reports from drivers so far.

The federally sponsored program grew out of a national effort to 
train truck drivers to watch for suspicious activity on highways.

The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation 
Services is pushing for security training for bus drivers nationwide.

"In areas where law enforcement does not have the resources to 
dedicate patrols along school routes, the school bus drivers can 
serve as the 'eyes and ears' of the community," the group wrote in a 
January position paper that argued for nationwide training.

Some states have required statewide anti-terrorism training for all 
bus drivers. About 20,000 drivers received training in Ohio.

Lisa Gross, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, 
said her agency is considering a similar initiative.

Whitley Arrests

Whitley County's 124 bus drivers and assistants became the first in 
Eastern Kentucky to be trained to help police crack down on 
methamphetamine labs and other criminal activity. The school district 
paid a day's wages to drivers who attended.

Hays said Operation UNITE is working to begin similar programs in 
Rockcastle and Clay counties.

Anderson said he believes most drivers support the program. More than 
90 percent of them attended a voluntary training session in August, he said.

Hays said the drivers were trained to identify materials used to make 
meth and to be aware of homes where cars frequently come and go.

Meth cases in Whitley County are on the rise again after a dip in the 
number last year, Hays said.

"Methamphetamine is such a horrible, horrible problem in this area," he said.

 From 1999 to 2001, Whitley County had only two felony meth cases, 
according to state court records. But since 2002, the court system 
has handled more than 60 such cases.

Protecting Drivers

Jill Watson, who helps her husband during his 44-mile daily 
school-bus drive across Whitley County, said she believes 
transportation workers have a civic duty to help police.

"I think it's a great idea," Watson said. "We can play an important 
role because we see things most people don't."

Velvet Mitchell, another Whitley County driver, said she supports the 
goal of the program but would be reluctant to use her radio to call in a tip.

"You never know who's listening," Mitchell said. "If I see something, 
I'll go back to the garage and tell them about it."

T.O. Elliott, the county's transportation director, said the program 
is "a positive thing" but he understands the drivers' concerns. They 
should be able to offer information anonymously, he said.

Elliott also said he had hoped police would add incentives for 
drivers who provide tips that lead to arrests.

"There are no rewards, but there probably should be," he said.
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