In 1995, the Coeur d'Alene Police Department began a new, innovative program with the Coeur d'Alene School District. This joint project was financed equally for the length of the school year by the Police Department and the School District.

The School Resource Officer program (SRO) started at Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high schools. In a very short amount of time, the program experienced great success and achieved tremendous support from students, parents, and school district employees.

Over the course of the last 16 years, the SRO Program grew to six officers (one officer was assigned to Project CDA, and one to each of the three middle schools). Last year, due to budget cuts beyond the district's control, the SRO program was reduced to five officers.

Although Chief Longo worked diligently with his budget to temporarily absorb the majority of SRO program costs, regrettably, a position was eliminated from Canfield Middle School. It currently operates without a full-time SRO.

The police officers in the schools have a wide variety of duties. Their most important function is to provide a safe, secure environment for students so that they may focus on their education.

SROs investigate all criminal activity in schools as well as all juvenile crimes that occur in the city. They work side by side with building administrators to address student behavior concerns and safety issues on campus. SROs teach character education classes, and counsel students and parents on a daily basis. Most significantly, they are role models and mentors to the youth in our community.

An example of the impact SROs have in the schools is contained in the following true accounts. The names of the students have been omitted to protect the students' privacy.

In one case, an SRO was contacted by a student about a variety of issues including drug abuse, alcohol use, low grades, her relationships with boyfriends, and her assigned school discipline. The student trusted the SRO enough to open up and share information about her life and the decisions she was making. After several failed attempts to change her behavior she sought out the SRO for counseling. She began to see what was wrong in her life and slowly started improving.

The SRO held her accountable through the Juvenile Justice system and continued to mentor her as well. Approximately one year later, she completed her court requirements, cleaned up her life, and stopped her involvement in substance abuse. The student wrote a letter to the SRO explaining her gratitude: "Thank you for helping me realize the life I was living was not the life I deserved or wanted. I have been sober for five months. I am loving it, and I seriously believe you helped me make that choice."

In another instance, an SRO was contacted by a high school counselor after friends of a student had expressed concern for the student's well-being. The friends reported that the student was depressed and had been "cutting" him/herself. The SRO and a high school counselor met with the student and confirmed the friends' concerns.

The SRO also discovered that the student was very close to committing suicide. The SRO immediately took preventative steps and obtained continuing assistance for the student. The student received the care needed and is now doing very well.

In another case, at the beginning of the school year, a female student and her younger sister consistently came to school displaying very poor hygiene. They were released from class several times to speak with the counselors about hygiene. The girls could provide no reason for why they appeared to care so little about themselves.

After several days of this problem, the SRO was asked to speak with the girls. While speaking to them, the SRO immediately detected a very strong, rancid odor which permeated every part of their clothing. He asked the girls if he could help them, but they provided no personal information. The SRO contacted Health and Welfare and found the girls' family had been visited by the agency in the past.

The SRO helped the girls to understand he was their friend and could be trusted if they needed to speak with him for any reason. Approximately a month later, the older girl confided in the SRO that her parents used drugs and that she didn't want to go home to that environment any longer. The student provided solid information about the location of drugs in her house.

The SRO Unit executed a warrant on the residence. The front yard was cluttered with old cars, appliances, and household garbage. The floor of the home was not visible; it was covered with dirty clothing, rancid food, and other clutter. The kitchen counters were covered with dirty dishes and spoiled food. Illegal drugs were discovered. The sisters smelled exactly like the filthy home.

No manner of good hygiene would have overcome this odor, nor was there any possible way for the girls to obtain a private place to bathe. The girls had been criticized by adults and students for a condition over which they had no control. The girls were removed from the home and placed in foster care. They appeared clean and happy the following week at school.

The SRO began to see a change in the attitude of the girls from one of despondence to one of cheerful engagement. The parents were directed into counseling and placed on probation. The front yard and the inside of the house were cleared of the rubbish.

After a period of time, the girls were returned to their parents, who were successful under the terms of their probation. Both the attitudes and the grades of the girls improved markedly until the sisters were indistinguishable from other students. A SRO worked diligently to assist these children and he made a big difference in their lives.

In yet another instance, a SRO was contacted by a teacher and made aware of threats being made and behaviors by a student which were very disturbing. The SRO intervened and started talking to the student and building rapport with him. Through this interaction and over time, the SRO learned that the student was planning on hiking into the woods, after taking a family member's rifle, to kill himself.

The SRO was able to provide the means for this student to begin getting treatment. After some treatment, the student returned to the school. The SRO again began interacting with the student and learned that the student was making a list of people he wanted to kill within the school.

The student indicated he would have a "shooting buddy" and told certain teachers they were not "on the list." He also indicated he would "save a bullet for himself." The SRO was able to again intervene prior to any incident occurring at the school. The student was able to get the long-term treatment he needed due to the interactions and observations by the SRO.

In the many years that the SRO program has flourished in our school district, there have been hundreds of stories like this and many children's lives impacted in a positive way. SROs have been a critical component in keeping gangs, violence, and drug dealers out of our area schools. The Coeur d'Alene Police Department is proud of the partnership it shares with School District 271.

Sgt. Christie Wood is the public information officer with the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.