
DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997                TAG: 9704170358

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Education 

SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:  121 lines

RESOURCE OFFICERS: THE HIGH SCHOOL BEATTHEY ENFORCE THE LAW, BUT THEY ALSO WORK TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS TO HELP PREVENT PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD.

When Ike Cashwell walks the halls of Tallwood High School, he is greeted like a favorite gym teacher, trading high fives and hey-how're-you-doings as he casually makes his way through the building.

The police uniform, however, makes it clear that Cashwell's purpose at the school isn't teaching physical education. He is the resource officer assigned to Tallwood, one of 10 Virginia Beach police officers who have worked in the city's high schools since September. In addition, seven Drug Awareness and Resistance Education officers also serve in the middle schools, while the resource officers help out at four other middle schools.

In the schools, they can make arrests and otherwise enforce the law, but they also are building relationships and taking on new roles. They patrol the campuses and surrounding neighborhoods as well, with the aim of getting to know kids while short-circuiting problems before they make their way into the classroom.

Officers have tailored their approach to fit in with the needs of the schools they serve. Some, for instance, have been particularly vigilant when it comes to tobacco use by minors. They also may make referrals to other social service agencies. And, as students and officers get to know each other, it is easier to hear of problems early and prevent them from escalating.

``A school is a microcosm of the society. If a fight happens in the neighborhood last night, it's coming to the school the next day,'' said Lt. James Cervera, community policing project coordinator.

The consensus is the program has been a success so far. The officers have been able to prevent some problems and get to others early. The students are increasingly comfortable with the police officers' presence. And, at many of the schools, the principals say it's like they've added another staff member who does the work of a police officer but also may help coach a sport or help out in a classroom.

``I absolutely love the program,'' said Donald Stowers, principal at First Colonial High School. The officers ``do good work and they're good role models for children.''

And they've been busy. The officers have made 14 felony arrests and almost 400 for misdemeanors. Not all of those involved students or took place on campus, although a majority did. Because the program is new this year, it is impossible to judge - based on those figures - whether school crime has increased or decreased.

In one of the more publicized incidents since the program began, Cashwell intercepted an unloaded 20-gauge shotgun brought onto the Tallwood campus by several Green Run High School students.

But it is in their casual, everyday dealings with students that some of the officers say they are making the greatest inroads as they become part of the school community.

``It comes down to being visible,'' said Daniel D'Ambrosio, the resource officer at First Colonial, where he is known simply as Officer Dan. ``The kids know you.''

Zechariah Boyd, a junior at Tallwood, said Cashwell has gotten rid of ``that whole stereotype of cops. He relates to students. You can respect him.''

And Tallwood freshman Alysha Fulkerson said, ``I think when people see him, they're less likely to push and stuff or goof off in the halls.''

Nationally, police officers have been present in some schools for as long as 20 years. Other school districts in the area assign police or other security personnel to their schools. The Beach schools have had security assistants for years to supervise students in hallways and cafeterias, and they have continued in that role.

For years, Cashwell was the school police officer in Virginia Beach, assigned by the Police Department to work out of the district. At Tallwood he gets to know the kids' faces and many of their names. And he says he's seen a change in their attitudes as well. Some of them may be a little less likely to end up on the wrong side of the law later for having gotten to know an officer now.

``I take pride in my job and what I do,'' Cashwell said. ``I enjoy dealing with these young people.''

The Virginia Beach Police Department sought a three-year federal grant worth about $1.3 million to support the program. To that, the city contributed $450,000, not including the cost of cars, radios and the like.

Although most crime rates in the city have held steady or declined in recent years, juvenile crime has increased rapidly, according to police officials. With students spending so much of their day in schools, putting police officers there is a logical step, according to Cervera.

The officers who serve in the schools were chosen by a panel that included district staff members. The police, principals and assistant principals have gone through training to help them mesh their roles - such as being given information on legal and ethical issues.

Principals, including Tallwood's Bernard Morgan, say they are pleased with the program. If anything, Morgan and others said, they wish the officers could be there more often rather than off-campus in training, meetings and the like.

``It's gone quite well,'' Morgan said.

The officers carry guns and handcuffs. And, in at least one case, pepper spray was used to break up a fight between two students at First Colonial early in the school year after they allegedly could not be separated despite the intervention of a teacher.

Cervera said, ``We do anything we can do to stop the problem from happening. Once it happens, we are the cops. Period.''

Officers like Cashwell say an initial standoffish period on the part of some students grew into curiosity and then into chatting.

``Now some of them are sharing problems,'' he said. ``It makes you feel good inside'' to help. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. Kevin Elliott/Thr Virginian-Pilot

[Ike Cashwell, 49, is the resource officer at Tallwood High

School...]

Graphic

So far this year, they have made more than 400 arrests, although not

all on school grounds or involving students. Those arrests range

from minors using tobacco to the possession of weapons and

narcotics.

Graphic

Source: Virginia Beach Police Department

Arrests by resource Officers

September 1996 to March 1997

High school, Felonies, Misdemeanors