Police need youth outreach focus

Another viewpoint is a column The NewsHerald makes available so all sides of an issue may be aired. Tom Wetzel of Willoughby is a Northeast Ohio police chief, certified law enforcement executive and adjunct professor in community policing.

Cops and kids have always had a special relationship and a classic piece of artwork by Norman Rockwell called “The Runaway” really captures the essence of that bond.

A little boy with a knapsack is sitting next to a burly cop at an old-style fifties-type diner counter. The boy who has decided to run away from home has a sheepish look on his face and the officer has a bemused but concerned appearance. I suspect he probably drove him home after buying him lunch. If that had actually happened, there would have been a decent chance that the officer became a mentor and a life-long friend with the child.

The current strain that we are seeing on a national level regarding mistrust and outright antipathy toward police officers by too many Americans is concerning to say the least and begs for short- and long-term resolutions.

Many ideas will be bantered about, some good, others wellmeaning but unrealistic, while some will be flat out ridiculous. In the end though, I suspect many will end up being empty gestures with little to no funding; only supported by bumper sticker slogans.

One area that will make an impact though is through youth outreach.

Police agencies and to EVERY child in our country. cops throughout the naWe recently had a virtual tion have been doing varmeeting with Phil Keith, the ious forms of this for genDirector of the U.S. Departerations through such ment of Justice Office of Comprograms as Safety Town, munity Oriented Policing SerD.A.R.E. (Drug awareness vices (COPS Office) and Chair of resistance education), pothe President’s Commission on lice athletic leagues and Law Enforcement and Adminisschool safety talks. Many tration of Justice to discuss the agencies also have juvepower of youth outreach to innile detectives and run diverclude our Cop Scouts program. sion programs to help keep kids Cop Scouts is a program creout of the court system who run ated by Sergeant Todd Leiafoul of the law. sure, a tough old Marine, that

All good stuff, but we need is geared for boys and girls 9 much more to make a deep and to 12 years of age. The program long-lasting impact on all kids. teaches life skills and molds

We need a paradigm shift friendships with fellow Cop that will allow us to build forScouts and police officers. tified bridges of trust with our We truly believe this innovayoungest customers which in tive and unique program has turn connects us to their parthe potential to be a national ents and fosters harmony. model and is exactly what is

Think about when someone needed at this pivotal moment does something nice for your in our nation’s history of policchild. You tend to have a softing. spot in your heart for that perll of this effort will be son and will exhibit more unworth it and I’m confident that derstanding and forgiveness toin time, it will pay dividends in wards them. I would shudder to friendly relationships built on think we have lost a generation trust and confidence. of any Americans but it only Kids will become adults who further cements the need to enwill have had cops that acted sure we don’t lose their kids. like guardian angels to them

If done effectively, youth outgrowing up and even becoming reach will have that ability and role models of civility and recould develop generational responsibility. lationships that will help redeIt will also improve officer fine American policing and alsafety as it will be difficult for low for a deeper buy-in of our any young person who has a mission. time-tested relationship with

To do it right, it must be a officers want to turn around part of every police culture and and throw a rock at him or her recognized as a top priority in a protest. that is interwoven within the They won’t even be there to very fabric of each agency. Debegin with! partments must make youth outreach programs, particularly in the schools, mandatory and target children from pre-school to the 12th grade. Cops need to be a familiar and positive face

The opinions expressed in Another viewpoint columns are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The News-Herald.

Tom Wetzel