Dirk Willims
Active Member
I strongly support you schools position on arming staff. I spent 10 years here in my community as a School Resources Officer, by far the most rewarding law enforcement job I've ever had. Teachers and cops are a natural fit, as long as the focus is on what's best for the youth, district and community.
I was fortunate I worked with some awesome school administrators, and teachers who were awesome, we were a team, this was not a cop in a school system, this was a cop on a team of folks doing and making informed choices which were in the best interest of our community and our youth.
Face it, our youth are our future leaders. What better way to teach them then to incorporate all of them into solution identification.
An example is, I'd see a minor crime committed, I'd contact the student and ask them to drop by my office when they were available. When the youth got their I would explain the violation. I would read exactly what the law said, and then I would ask them, " how you going to solve the issue" We let them fix it, as long as their solution was " reasonable"
The trick was don't let their solution be so outlandish, that we allowed the kid to set themselves up to fail, knowing the solution they offered up was pie in the sky. Again the question is " what's reasonable"
This was in the mid 90s.welearned that once the kids knew the rules, that the kids made good informed choices, generally.
The teachers and me introduced a class we called it " law Chat". I made a huge mistake, my wife's a teacher so I prepared a ciriculm, went into class and failed miserably. So I winged it, I asked the kids to ask law related questions they wanted answered, and we explored the written letter of the law, and reasonable parts. We talked about " teachable moments, and the class was to,my surprise a complete sucess, the students made it so.
I was always amused the absolute first legal questions in EVERY first class where's sex related, boys girls age and consequences. I,taught search and seizure anywhere the students wanted to go. They were read the rules and we discussed application and outcomes, in their language.
St one point I was advised by the teachers that on Friday nights my associates were pulling the kids over and without Proboable cause searching the cars. The teachers were offended and asked me to educate the students on their rights. And I did.
After those classes were over. I got called into the Chiefs office, all the command was present and they were pissed. Seems my associates were pissed that I was teaching our community youth, their constitutional rights. I was floored, I was pissed and I pushed right back.
Two commanders ordered me to NOT teach search and seizure. And I told then to F off. Our youth had every right to know what their rights are. We had an obligation to teach them.
I was disiplined over this, cuz I told then to F off. Went to the school told the admin and teachers I'd be gone for a week, and told them why. The school district called the district attorney demanding an audience. Once the DA learned what the PD admin had suggested he called a meeting between everybody.
I was called in and ordered to not repeat what the commanders had said in the closed door meeting. Yea right. Sure chief.
Someone invited the media. " not me". By the end of the day. Two commanders had been demoted, and the media made a huge deal about it. The unlawful car searches were a big deal. And not happening anymore.
The teachers school admin saved me. And they were right. Truth of the matter is, the chief should have been fired aswell. I should mention that the DA and the Judges were very involved in this SRO program, we as a team had turned our youth, their education and their rights into a win win situation.
Sadly I felt huge heat. And I just wasn't comfortable working for a police department who wanted me to lie to our youth.
The SRO,program was the best ten years of my 25 year career. Nothing but respect for my associates within our school districts. Not so much for my old agency.
With a heavy heart I retired about six months later, went back to California, where I'd started.
Sorry long winded. Our youth our schools, everybody in those schools need to be protected at all costs.
I was involved in the SRO thing early on and was able to set security protocols for our community. As an example in the infancy of SROs doctrine for school shooters was for officer to respond but to await for at least a second officer before entering.
That can not happen,, seconds count people are being killed. And I got in trouble for telling the bosses I refused to wait, I was going after the shooter, ain't no waiting. Their was no love loss between me and them,
I'm so pleased that your school has the wisdom to see what needs to happen. I believe schools with armed staff with not be targeted. Make sure you have HUGE signs at every entrance announcing school staff are armed and cleared to aggressively engage a shooter.
Congrats to you and your district
Dirk Williams
Retired Police Officer Oregon
Retired Deputy Sheriff California.
I was fortunate I worked with some awesome school administrators, and teachers who were awesome, we were a team, this was not a cop in a school system, this was a cop on a team of folks doing and making informed choices which were in the best interest of our community and our youth.
Face it, our youth are our future leaders. What better way to teach them then to incorporate all of them into solution identification.
An example is, I'd see a minor crime committed, I'd contact the student and ask them to drop by my office when they were available. When the youth got their I would explain the violation. I would read exactly what the law said, and then I would ask them, " how you going to solve the issue" We let them fix it, as long as their solution was " reasonable"
The trick was don't let their solution be so outlandish, that we allowed the kid to set themselves up to fail, knowing the solution they offered up was pie in the sky. Again the question is " what's reasonable"
This was in the mid 90s.welearned that once the kids knew the rules, that the kids made good informed choices, generally.
The teachers and me introduced a class we called it " law Chat". I made a huge mistake, my wife's a teacher so I prepared a ciriculm, went into class and failed miserably. So I winged it, I asked the kids to ask law related questions they wanted answered, and we explored the written letter of the law, and reasonable parts. We talked about " teachable moments, and the class was to,my surprise a complete sucess, the students made it so.
I was always amused the absolute first legal questions in EVERY first class where's sex related, boys girls age and consequences. I,taught search and seizure anywhere the students wanted to go. They were read the rules and we discussed application and outcomes, in their language.
St one point I was advised by the teachers that on Friday nights my associates were pulling the kids over and without Proboable cause searching the cars. The teachers were offended and asked me to educate the students on their rights. And I did.
After those classes were over. I got called into the Chiefs office, all the command was present and they were pissed. Seems my associates were pissed that I was teaching our community youth, their constitutional rights. I was floored, I was pissed and I pushed right back.
Two commanders ordered me to NOT teach search and seizure. And I told then to F off. Our youth had every right to know what their rights are. We had an obligation to teach them.
I was disiplined over this, cuz I told then to F off. Went to the school told the admin and teachers I'd be gone for a week, and told them why. The school district called the district attorney demanding an audience. Once the DA learned what the PD admin had suggested he called a meeting between everybody.
I was called in and ordered to not repeat what the commanders had said in the closed door meeting. Yea right. Sure chief.
Someone invited the media. " not me". By the end of the day. Two commanders had been demoted, and the media made a huge deal about it. The unlawful car searches were a big deal. And not happening anymore.
The teachers school admin saved me. And they were right. Truth of the matter is, the chief should have been fired aswell. I should mention that the DA and the Judges were very involved in this SRO program, we as a team had turned our youth, their education and their rights into a win win situation.
Sadly I felt huge heat. And I just wasn't comfortable working for a police department who wanted me to lie to our youth.
The SRO,program was the best ten years of my 25 year career. Nothing but respect for my associates within our school districts. Not so much for my old agency.
With a heavy heart I retired about six months later, went back to California, where I'd started.
Sorry long winded. Our youth our schools, everybody in those schools need to be protected at all costs.
I was involved in the SRO thing early on and was able to set security protocols for our community. As an example in the infancy of SROs doctrine for school shooters was for officer to respond but to await for at least a second officer before entering.
That can not happen,, seconds count people are being killed. And I got in trouble for telling the bosses I refused to wait, I was going after the shooter, ain't no waiting. Their was no love loss between me and them,
I'm so pleased that your school has the wisdom to see what needs to happen. I believe schools with armed staff with not be targeted. Make sure you have HUGE signs at every entrance announcing school staff are armed and cleared to aggressively engage a shooter.
Congrats to you and your district
Dirk Williams
Retired Police Officer Oregon
Retired Deputy Sheriff California.