Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jan 2006
Source: Arlington Advocate, The (MA)
Copyright: 2006 Community Newspapers,sInc.
Contact:  http://www2.townonline.com/arlington/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3498
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

HS OFFICER COULD PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDY

Whenever we face a tragedy like the suicide of a teenager, those left 
behind wonder if the unthinkable act could have been prevented. In 
this  case, a 17-year-old Arlington High School student shot himself 
after he took  Klonopin, which may have distorted his mind. Two other 
students were also  hospitalized last week after reportedly taking 
the drug. In times like  these, parents may feel powerless and 
worried for their children. But there are  things we can do. As 
parents, we can try to steer our children in the right  direction. As 
adults, we can be examples for teens. And as a community, we can  act.

That is why The  Advocate is proposing a school resource officer at 
the high school. Many communities  have a dedicated police officer 
who spends time at the high school. This gives  the police a presence 
at the school, and allows police and school administrators  to 
proactively tackle problems with youth. For instance, if the resource 
officer  receives information about a weekend drug party, police can 
follow up to make  sure it doesn't happen. After news spread  about 
the 17-year-old student's suicide last week, police received dozens 
of tips from people who knew of drug dealing in town. It took a 
teen's death to  make them come forward. If a school resource officer 
was in place, students may  have relayed the information to the 
officer and this tragedy could have been  averted.

If readers don't  think drug use is a problem, they should look no 
further than the more than  1,000 pills police recovered after a 
16-year-old AHS student was arrested last  Thursday. Police 
confiscated prescription drugs Ativan, Klonopin, Valium,  Librium, 
Vicodin and Oxycontin at the teen's residence. Drug use amongst  AHS 
students is not just a school problem. It will take more than school 
administrators and teachers working together to get drugs off our streets.

It's going to  require a community-wide effort, from students to 
parents to police to  counselors, in order to protect our kids. In 
the wake of  last year's $6 million Proposition 2 1/2 override and 
continued  budget-tightening, some may believe the town cannot afford 
a school resource  officer. But, if the police and schools work 
together to secure grants and share  the cost of the officer, we 
believe officials can make the position a reality. As the events of 
the past week have shown, Arlington cannot afford to stand by while 
its children  die after taking drugs. We've already lost one teen. 
Let's take action now so  that we don't lose another.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom