Law enforcement connects to youth

    Local law enforcement agencies have a number of youth outreach programs to educate kids and help them become law-abiding citizens. Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar said that the schools in the county are a frequent stop for him and his deputies.

    ?We come to the schools to give safety tips to the students,? said Dunbar. ?We have programs on drug safety and ?stranger danger.??

    Dunbar said that another way his department interacts with kids is through Kidzfest, which began in 1990s and which Dunbar is a charter member of. He said the sheriff?s department also helps with a bicycle safety class in Wellman.

    Washington Police Chief Greg Goodman said that he and other offices frequently visit the schools. He said they talk to the students about safety, narcotics and some of the investigations they?ve done. Police officer Shawn Ellingson talks to driver?s education classes every year about the dangers of drunk driving and about ways to stay safe on the road.

    Dunbar and Goodman agreed that youth outreach programs are a good way for kids to get to know law enforcement officers. Dunbar said that getting off on the right foot with young people is the best way to ensure a good relationship later on.

    ?I think it helps for the kids to see the police during a positive experience and not when the police have to come to their house to break up a domestic dispute,? said Dunbar.

    Goodman said that the first impression a child has of a police officer is an important factor in how that child will come to view law enforcement as an adult.

    ?Kids are more likely to fear police in a negative situation,? said Goodman. ?If that is the first impression a kid has of law enforcement, he will probably develop a negative impression of law enforcement. If, on the other hand, kids realize police are friendly, they are less likely to fear us and more likely to have positive interactions with us.?

    Goodman added that one thing that helps police-student relationships is that many officers see the students on a regular basis outside of the classroom.

    ?Many of the officers either are or have been coaches in the schools,? said Goodman. ?For instance, Shawn Ellingson is the assistant varsity wrestling coach.?

For more, see our May 26 print edition.