(Garland ISD) October 22, 2012 – Homework duty, snack duty, and dodgeball duty are not typical assignments for the City of Garland Police Department. But for officers leading the Garland Police Youth Program (GPYP), it’s a typical Wednesday afternoon as the group meets to tutor and mentor Garland ISD elementary school students.
“We want to be a motivator for education and encourage students to do well,” said School Resource Officer Don Koerner. “We’ve seen the results of poor decisions and want to help steer these kids in the right direction.”
The GPYP began in 1988 as an outreach effort by Officer Koerner. While working on patrol in Garland, he initiated a weekly basketball game with neighborhood children on Saturday mornings.
“That first week, I just showed up and started playing,” said Koerner. “I noticed kids I had seen on my routes were actually approaching me and talking to me, so I kept coming.”
In 1989, Koerner became Garland’s first community/school resource officer. Since then, the partnership between the City of Garland and Garland ISD has grown to include 23 officers and two lieutenants, impacting the 45 campuses located within Garland city limits. The GPYP has also grown from a physical fitness activity to include homework help, reading time, snack time, board games, and an outing to Chuck E. Cheese’s each grading period for students who pass all their classes.
Every Wednesday from 3:15-5:15 p.m., approximately 30 second-through-fifth graders come to the Gale Fields Recreation Center to receive after school assistance from six elementary school resource officers.
“I like coming because they help me do well in school,” commented Jasmine Alonzo, third grader at Kimberlin Academy. “I would probably just be watching TV if I didn’t come.”
Alonzo is the second GPYP participant in her family. Her older brother Jonathan also attends. According to School Resource Officer Rene Granado, multi-generational families are a common occurrence now that the Program is 25-years old.
“Because of our longevity, we’ve seen children of former participants come through GPYP,” he explained. “We’ve also seen some of our kids become GISD educators.”
A constant despite changes in teachers, principals, and possibly even family structures, Garland school resource officers strive to connect the community and the school district. The GPYP helps strengthen that connection for both participants and their parents.
“Having an extra person that knows my son at school is great,” said Carolina Lagos, whose son attends Northlake Elementary. “I know I can talk to the officers if I have any problems.”
And the GPYP isn’t the only interaction that students and parents have with school resource officers. At the elementary level, SROs hold summer camps and teach several safety classes, covering topics like gang resistance, internet use, and bullying. Acting as an instructor, counselor, and law enforcement agent, school resource officers share GISD’s commitment to student success.
“Officer Koerner and the GPYP have given so many of our students the support they needed to ‘care’ about the grades they receive,” commented Kimberlin teacher Peggy O’Leary. “Each student is greeted by name when Officer Koerner comes down the hall. This personal touch connects him with our entire school. We have seen students’ behavior completely change because of his interaction with them.”
Submitted by Tiffany Graber, Communications Specialist, GISD.
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