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| Erlanger SRO is Student-Focused |
Todd Brendel finds
that he is a more effective School Resource Officer
by being actively involved with student
organizations and school events. A law enforcement
officer since 1990, his background as a DARE officer
led to his interest in the SRO officer position
established by the Erlanger Police Department in
1999. Since that time, he has been assigned to
Tichenor Middle School in the Erlanger-Elsmere
Independent school district which is located in
Kenton County.
Lucy Riffle, principal of the Middle School, thinks
that administrators play an important role in
insuring the success of the program “by making SROs
members of the school’s leadership team. If SROs
remain isolated from the school community, they
cannot be near as effective.” Ms. Riffle has
experienced first hand the benefits of having a SRO
as “students are more likely to approach Officer
Brendel rather than school administrators with
problems, issues or suggestions. Todd shares those
with us and we are able to address some of the
problems before they become serious.” The city of
Erlanger also recognizes the value of the program
and assumed funding for the program once a COPS
grant expired. The police department also operates
an Adopt a School program in which officers stop by
an assigned school during their shift, indicating
the strong partnership between the agency and the
school district.
Officer Brendel was the first SRO in the state to
take advantage of the Sprint’s company offer to
furnish cell phones to law enforcement officers in
schools. The purpose of the program, referred to as
the “Phone Call for Safety Hot Line”, was to allow
parents, students, and community members to call the
officers and report suspected criminal activity in
the schools and neighborhood. Officer Brendel helped
the company design posters publicizing the program
that listed phone numbers the public could access 24
hours a day, 7 days a week to contact him or Mark
Jolly, the district’s other SRO. At the beginning of
each school year, the students are made aware of the
program as well as issued wallet size cards with the
phone numbers that they can carry with them. The
officer finds that both students and parents also
use the phones to discuss problems with the
officers.
With the help of Darrell Cammack and other faculty
members, Officer Brendel helped establish the first
Youth Crime Watch program in Kentucky. Approximately
100 students participate in the program and
activities include a student patrol in which
students with walkie talkies patrol the interior and
exterior of the school to watch for altercations,
vandalism, and any unusual activities. They use
two-way radios to report any significant incidents
to the SRO and complete “Youth Patrol Investigation
Forms” which are handed in at the end of their
patrol. The patrols reinforce the idea that students
play an important role in maintaining safe schools.
The Youth Crime Watch program also operates a
crossing guard program and a community service
program in which students help clean up parks and
homes for the elderly and distribute donated toys to
children in hospitals. Participants hold fund
raisers throughout the year to pay for the special
activities, patrol equipment and uniforms, and to
send a delegation to the national conference. The
club also receives support from 25 local businesses,
which display donated posters stating, “This
Business Supports Youth Crime Watch at Tichenor
Middle School”. A job shadowing program allows
students to take day-long field trips to businesses
to observe the duties the employees perform.
Principal Riffle and Officer Brendel have noticed
that vandalism, fights and after-school mischief
have decreased since initiation of the program and
the crossing guard program has resulted in slower
traffic in front of the school.
Although he teaches DARE at the elementary schools
one day each week, Officer Brendel spends the
remaining four days at the middle school which
allows him to form strong relationships with
faculty, administrators and students. He frequently
makes presentations in the classroom on topics such
as bike safety and legal issues such as search and
seizure and also organizes mock jury trials.
Other activities in which Officer Brendel is
involved include the Special Olympics, field trips
to space camp and sporting events. Participation in
school events reaps rewards in terms of developing
strong relationships with students according to
Officer Brendel, “If you get involved, students know
that you care. They need to get to know you as a
person and learn that you are there to assist them.”
Todd Brendel is a member of the national faculty
with Youth Crime Watch and is on probationary status
with the National School Resource Officer
Association as a certified instructor. |
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