Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
School District 55 and city of Sweet Home officials will recommend to their budget committees that they continue funding the student resource officer position, which began working in schools this school year.
Police Chief Bob Burford met with District 55 Supt. Larry Horton and district administrators on Feb. 13 to discuss the situation. The city and district split the cost of the position.
“The School District affirmed that they were very pleased with the program and wish to see it continue through the next school year,” Burford said. “I’ve heard only praise from out in the community, from parents and from students. I see no downsides to the program at all.”
Veteran Police Officer John Trahan serves in the position, handling police calls within the district as well as working with staff and students on a variety of issues and answering questions.
An Education Service District employee recently sent a letter complimenting Trahan for his work with a suicidal student, Horton said. “We feel the position is a very valuable position to our district and students.”
If the funds are available for next year, the administration is supportive of continuing funding, Horton said. “I would anticipate the SRO position will be renewed. I’m recommending it, but a lot depends on the budget from the state.”
The district used local funds along with some money it receives annually from the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District to fund its half of the position. The city used Police Department funds.
Trahan gave a report to the School Board on Feb. 11.
“When I first accepted this position, I knew I’d have to come and talk to you guys,” Trahan said. “I envisioned talking about arrests, assaults and tobacco. As I started interacting with these kids, I knew it was no longer about that.
He still must deal with those kinds of things, he said, but the position is so much more than that, he said. Sometimes it’s a father-figure-type job. Sometimes he’s a counselor. Sometimes it’s being a police officer, “but most of the time, it’s just being their friend.”
Trahan promised the elementary teachers and principals that he would spend time at those schools, he said, but “it’s very busy at the high school.”
He hasn’t been able to spend the time he wants to at the elementary schools, he said. Working with high school drama students, he was able to put together a program during Christmas season about “stranger danger.”
“I still have kids coming up to me talking about stranger danger,” Trahan said. “I know it had an impact.”
He said he has spent a little more time at the junior high school, but not as much as he wants. The students there do know who he is.
“I have fun. I think,” Trahan said. “I’m making a difference.”
“If anything, it was a constructive criticism,” Burford said of his meeting with district officials. “The junior high and grade schools would like to see him more. Internally, we’ll be trying to look at ways where we can just schedule time for John to be in those schools – knowing, however, that things happen.”
Horton said he thinks it will be easier to expand Trahan’s role at the grade schools, now that he has got the job responsibilities of the position figured out.
In the 2006-07 school year, police wrote seven citations for minor in possession of tobacco, Trahan said. This year, so far, they’ve written 32. In 2006-7, they had five minor in possession of alcohol charges and three assaults. So far this year, they have had 17 minor in possession of alcohol charges and three assaults.
Last year, police responded to schools 133 times. So far this year, they’ve responded to schools 132 times.
Except with tobacco, Trahan said he doesn’t know why the statistics increased, whether it’s because he is now working in the high school, Trahan said. With tobacco, he goes out and he finds it. He speculates that the increase in alcohol and assault charges may be because he is there and available.
“We have definitely this year had an increase in expulsions,” Horton said. “I think what is happening, in part, is because we now have an SRO. What seems to be happening are kids are telling either the SRO or administrators if there are drugs, alcohol, knives, those kinds of things, are in the school.”
The district has had 16 expulsions so far this year, Horton said. Last year, all year, it had 26.
A large percentage of the expulsions this year are the result of a student reporting illegal activity, Horton said.
“Many districts are lucky to have SROs,” Horton said. “I think we’re fortunate to have John as our SRO. We’re very pleased with the job he’s doing.”