Kenneth McKenzie, an officer with the Owensboro Police Department, has been a School Resource Officer (SRO) at Owensboro Senior High School for five years. Originally funded with a three year COPS grant, the city and school decided to continue the program under a cost sharing agreement. Like most SROs, Officer McKenzie was looking for opportunities to develop positive relationships with students. When staff from the Kentucky Crime Prevention Coalition provided training on the Youth Crime Watch program, he knew it was a program that would meet his needs and those of the students.

The goals of Youth Crime Watch (YCW)are to teach students about crime prevention and to empower them to make their school and community safer. In addition, the program helps students develop strong leadership skills and stresses the importance of community service. Through the activities undertaken, students have learned that they can make a difference in the quality of life of both the school and the community.

Officer McKenzie created a local YCW chapter in 2000 with the help of Ms. Diane Hunter, a school counselor. The biggest challenge in the first two years was creating a core group of students who could provide continuity and leadership. The school district understood that having students participate in extra-curricular activities strengthened their ties to school and encouraged all students to join a club that reflected their personal interests. Some students were initially reluctant to join YCW as they had the misconception that they would be expected to "snitch" on other students. Officer McKenzie and Ms. Hunter were able to dispel this myth by providing information over the school's public announcement system. There are presently about 12 students who are actively involved in the club, although additional students participate in select activities.

Members of the Youth Crime Watch meet every Wednesday morning before school for about 30 minutes. Most of the activities are student driven--they decide what needs to be done and staff help with planning and oversight. The Owensboro program is one of the most active of the 21 chapters in the state and was recognized as the 2003 and 2004 Youth Crime Watch Site of the Year by the Kentucky Crime Prevention Council. Some of their accomplishments during the 2003-2004 school year include the following:

• Participated in the Owensboro Parks Department Trail of Treats program which involves handing out candy on Halloween to children under the age of 14 in a designated area of a local park. The event provides children a safer alternative than going door to door in their neighborhoods for treats. YCW was one of many local groups that set up a booth and, in addition to handing out candy to children, they distributed crime prevention material to adults.
• Held a 3rd Annual Toy Drive at Christmas that netted over $600 in donated toys. The toys were given to Make A Wish Foundation to be distributed to needy families in the local area.
• Visited a local nursing home and helped residents "dress-up" for a day of fun and games. Students helped residents paint their fingernails, put on make-up, and fix their hair.
• Held an open house for incoming freshman that included handing out a brochure on How to Avoid Becoming a Victim at School. Students were responsible for developing the content and designing the brochure.
• Planned and sponsored a program titled "You drink, You drive, You lose" in order to get students thinking about the negative consequences of teenage drinking. The project included holding a school wide poster and brochure contest and setting up a realistic funeral scene which featured a coffin in which a mirror had been placed. Students were sobered by the experience and the project received strong support from adults in the community who donated materials for the project.

In order to pay for these activities, YCW members participated in fund raising activities. In the 2003-2004 school year, members sold bag chairs in the school colors that were embossed with the school emblem and sales exceeded expectations. Ms. Hunter was also successful in her efforts to solicit donations from local businesses and the police department.

Officer McKenzie said that all students at the high school have benefited from YCW through lectures the chapter has scheduled on varied topics such as preventing date rape and other sexual assaults, and their legal rights as juveniles under the law. One example of the benefit to the school was improved behavior of both students and adults at ball games after YCW members led an effort to establish a code of conduct for sports fans.

Involvement in the program has helped Officer McKenzie be a more successful SRO as he has not only developed positive relationships with students in the club but also with students in school who have participated in YCW-sponsored activities.

For additional information, contact Officer McKenzie at (270) 686-1100