Pubdate: Fri, 09 Jun 2006
Source: Greenwich Time (CT)
Copyright: 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc
Contact:  http://www.greenwichtime.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/697
Author: Martin B. Cassidy
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

TOWN MOVES TO DEFINE OFFICERS' ROLE AT SCHOOL

In recent months, Chris Webster said, most high school  students seem 
to pay him about as much mind as any  other adult, while some who 
know he is a policeman  confide to him about drinking parties, drugs, 
or budding enmities between students on campus.

"We've made drug arrests and I've had some disorderly  incidents," 
Webster said. "With 2,800 kids there will  be a few who will cause 
trouble or commit crimes."

Education officials have decided that police will  return to campus 
this September, Greenwich High School  Headmaster Alan Capasso has 
said, but they haven't made  a permanent commitment to the 
arrangement. Since  February, a youth officer, armed and in plain 
clothes,  has been on campus following a racially charged fight  that 
spurred Internet threats about gangs descending on  the school with guns.

Capasso and police administrators were to meet this  week to set the 
procedures, limits, and  responsibilities for the youth officer, Capasso said.

"It will define what the actual role of the youth  officer will be 
and what they will and won't do,"  Capasso said.

One concern Capasso said the school had is that the  assigned officer 
not talk to students about  investigations of incidents that happen 
during school  hours.

Administrators also want to make sure that arrests are  not made when 
school discipline can be just as  effective, Capasso said.

"What we want to make sure everybody realizes is that  this is not a 
substation of the police department,"  Capasso said. "We are working 
together for the good of  Greenwich High School, and we've had 
excellent  cooperation from the police department."

Board of Education Chair-woman Colleen Giambo said that  while the 
board supported the continuation of the  program last month, the 
arrangement is not necessarily  permanent if it is determined the 
officer's presence is  no longer needed.

"Given the incident that occurred, there was a sort of  comfort level 
that there would be an officer on hand,"  Giambo said. "What I 
thought was important was for the  high school to keep very good 
records of how this  experience is working. But the assignment has 
led to incidents being handled more quickly and more  consistently."

Since February police have arrested five trespassers on  school 
grounds, and made arrests for marijuana  possession almost every week.

The Columbine school shootings in 1999 led to the idea  of a 
full-time officer on campus. Webster, 47, and  retired officer Steve 
Paulo became certified as school  resource officers by the National 
Association of School  Resource Officers.

Currently Webster and officer Phyllis Mickle trade off  weeks at the 
high school.

In 2004 Superintendent Larry Leverett decided against a  six-month 
pilot program that would have placed two  "resource officers," armed 
and in plain clothes, on  campus, citing funding problems.

Though Capasso, the police chief, the PTA co-presidents  and student 
government leaders all said they favored  the program, First 
Selectman Jim Lash opposed it, as  well as a group of parents who 
were concerned about  having guns on campus.

Despite all the debate among adults, students said they  were hardly 
aware that the police were on campus, they  said in interviews last week.

Seth Berkenshire, 18, said after the officer was  stationed at the 
school students quickly forgot about  it.

"Nothing really happens here," Berkenshire said. "I  think earlier 
this year I saw a kid get arrested, but I  don't notice the officer here."

Webster said he and Mickle have also sat in with school 
administrators mediating disputes between students,  often warning 
that an arrest is possible for fighting  or harassing each other.

At other times the pair speak to students about the  dangers of 
underage drinking, and of throwing or att  ending parties where 
alcohol is served, Webster said.

"I think we have an important role to play here,"  Webster said. "I 
feel like we're building a  relationship with the students."
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