Pubdate: Fri, 10 Mar 2006
Source: Daily News Journal  (TN)
Copyright: 2006 Mid-South Publishing Company
Contact:  http://dnj.midsouthnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1709
Author: Scott Broden
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

RESOURCE OFFICERS SEE RESULTS OF EDUCATING LOCAL STUDENTS

A trend last year of local students abusing their parents 
prescription drugs has declined this year, but illegal narcotics 
remains a concern, an official said.

"We made 62 drug arrests," said Maj. Bill Kennedy, a Rutherford 
County Sheriff's Office administrator who oversees school resource 
officers (SROs). "It's higher than we want it. For a system as large 
as ours, it's still a low percentage of kids."

Although marijuana and other illegal narcotics are a problem, Kennedy 
said he's pleased how his 36-officer division has gotten the word out 
to parents about keeping their prescription drugs away from their children.

SROs interact with the students, teachers and parents as a way to 
prevent crimes, and many are pleased to have officers protecting the 
district's 33,000 students attending 38 schools.

Kennedy shared SRO stats for the current school year, from August 
through Feb. 9.

"I think they're doing a good job," Central Middle parent Sharon Warren said.

Central Middle SRO Tami Hellvig, for example, made a positive 
difference with a girl who was interested in law enforcement, 
seventh-grade English teacher Pat Young said.

"Who would have thought that this problem child wanted to be a police 
officer," Young said. "I thought it was the grandest thing. SROs are 
such an important part of the system. Their presence in the building 
makes a world of difference. Students need to see the officers are 
there for them."

SROs in recent years have seen a significant drop in weapons 
confiscation going from 65 in 1998-99 to a low of 3 in 2001-02. This 
year the officers have confiscated seven weapons, but none of them 
was a firearm, Kennedy said. Five were knives, and the other-two are 
look-a-like firearms that are actually air guns.

The key proactive step that prevents crime on campus is SROs 
interacting with students. Officers have conducted 5,695 classroom 
lectures through Feb. 9, Kennedy said.

"We're on track to teach more classes than last year," Kennedy said.

SROs use different curriculum and various instructional methods to 
appeal to all the K-12 students, Kennedy added.

"We have everything from 'Deputy Glenn,' our robotic dog for our 
littlest students, all the way to crime scene investigation and 
Fourth Amendment rights with seniors in high school," Kennedy said.

SROs sometimes inspire students to be officers. A former SRO at 
Oakland High, Kennedy said three of the students he used to deal with 
became SROs, including Joey King, the officer assigned to Barfield 
Elementary School.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman