The News Room [News Archive]
Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Thursday, February 12, 2004
Sheriff deputies’ presence makes dramatic improvements
in Highland Park schools --- Incidents of student-related
trouble down 75% vs previous year
Since
taking over police duties in Highland Park last July, there has
been perhaps no more visible sign of progress than in the city’s
five public schools, where administrators report a near elimination
of a chronic student misconduct problem, according to Sheriff Warren
Evans.
Evans says that according to school administrators, the involvement
of his five school resource officers has helped reduce the number
of incidents involving students – typically fights or other
altercations, vandalism, and loitering – from more than 1,600
a year ago to fewer than 150 since the start of classes in September.
That puts the district on track to post a 75% reduction in these
types of occurrences for the 2003-04 school year.
“ People always ask how much difference one person can
make,” Evans said. “Well, at each of these schools
one sheriff’s deputy has been able to make a huge difference.
This type of community policing will have a positive impact beyond
the schoolyard fence.”
School officials in Highland Park are thrilled with the changes
they have seen.
“The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office School Resource
Officers have been a welcome and effect asset, helping to dramatically
improve the “climate” in our schools, prompting an
atmosphere more conducive to teaching and learning,” said
Highland Park School District spokesman Greg Byndrian. “The
school district values and appreciates their contribution to that
environment and the partnership that makes it possible.”
Officers have become an integral part of each school, speaking
to classes about safety and behavior issues, acting as mediators
between students and serving as role models. As part of their basic
duties, the officers also perform security checks of the schools
and make sure students get to class and don’t loiter outside
after the end of the school day. With the most difficult students,
officers will write tickets or take them to the county’s
juvenile detention facility.
“The officers have a range of responsibilities and have
handled themselves extremely well,” Evans said. “Every
kid’s needs are different and the officers seem to do a good
job of providing just what is required in a given situation.”
Evans assigned the officers to Highland Park with the help of
a $125,000 US Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing
Services [COPS] grant. The grant funds officers at the city’s
three K-8, one K-5 and one high school for three years, which covers
all of the district’s estimated 2,000 students.
The program has a number of goals, including:
- Reduce crime at the schools
- Prevent delinquent behavior
- Provide faster police response when necessary
- Help train school security staff
- Help revise the districts School Code of Conduct for students
- Help develop new school policies in dealing with delinquency
- Set up referral system for students to counseling/community-based
services
- Promote and develop mentoring programs
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