S CHOOL R ESOURCE O FFICER (SRO) S POT-  LIGHT W ELCOME TO LPD’ S N EWEST O FFICER  C OMMITTED TO SERVE  Breezes CITY OF LAKEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT October 10, 2014 In partnership with the community, we are dedicated to reducing crime, problem solving and ensuring the qualify of life in Lakeville. Spotlight on Lakeville’s School Resource Officers Thor Howe, SRO Lakeville South HS Andy Hentges, SRO Lakeville North HS The most rewarding aspect of being an SRO is the relationships I've built with the students, staff, and parents. As an SRO, you have many opportunities to have positive interactions with people who may not have always had a great experience with law enforcement. - Andy Hentges, SRO A city within a city. That’s just one way to view our top-rated schools, especially Lakeville North and Lakeville South High Schools where enrollment nears 1800 students each and around 200 faculty and staff each. To support those “cities”, Lakeville currently has two School Resource Officers (SROs) serving our public schools. Officer Thor Howe works full time, based out of Lakeville South High School, also serving McGuire Middle School and the Alternative Learning Center. Officer Andy Hentges works full time, based out of Lakeville North High School, also serving Kenwood Trail and Century Middle Schools. Both Officers serve the elementary schools when needed. And both Officers are passionate about their work. Primary SRO Goals Police agencies have a long history of service to schools,  Keep students and educators safe. but only in the past 20 years has assigning law enforce Help prepare schools for potential external threats. ment officers to schools on a full-time basis become a  Help reduce the internal presence of drugs, alcohol, widespread practice. Contributing factors include the weapons, gangs, and violence. increased involvement of juveniles in crime, the move to  Mentor youth through coaching, and counseling. accountability-based behavior policies in schools, includ-  Advocate for youth. ing “zero tolerance”, high profile school shootings in the  Educate students and staff in crime prevention and late 1990’s, and federal funding for law enforcement in safety. schools. Lakeville’s SRO program began in the mid  Encourage positive relationships between students 1990’s and has been a successful partnership between and police. school administration and the Police Department ever  Train students in conflict resolution, restorative since. justice, and crime awareness. SROs are assigned based on many qualifications including Patrol Officer experience, dependability, flexibility, creativity, problem solving, communication skills, and caring about and the desire to work with kids. They undergo training from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). Areas of knowledge include school-based emergency planning, active shooter training, school-based threat assessment, effects of trauma on youth, mentoring/counseling, and restorative justice. Lakeville SROs serve as an invaluable resource for students, parents, faculty, and staff. Officers Howe and Hentges serve a dynamic, multi-function role that includes a unique partnership with school administration to handle events, correct inappropriate behavior, and help students learn from poor choices. Much of their day is often spent deescalating tension between students and checking in with at-risk students. Officer Howe sums it up well, “The School Resource Officer is one of the most visible positions within the police department. School Resource Officers are here to protect, mentor, and facilitate the success of the youth in our community. Students need us and parents depend on us. Parents entrust us with their children and the importance of that cannot be emphasized enough.” Lakeville PD’s Newest Member We are pleased to welcome Lakeville’s newest Officer, Scott Frame. Officer Frame joins us from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department with 18-years of experience. Following his swearing-in on Wednesday, October 08, Officer Frame began his Field Training. After 16-weeks of Field Training, Officer Frame will be working solo. Welcome to Lakeville, Officer Frame! *FBI Crime in the United States 2012 Re- As we welcome a new Officer this week, there’s time to reflect on the Oath of Office, what we as Police Officers do day-in and dayout, and what it means. As Officers, we work hard every day to ensure a high quality of life for our citizens and community. We answer calls for domestic abuse, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, drug related incidents, DUI/DWI, burglary and robbery, code enforcements, traffic accidents, and medical emergencies among others. We have moments of pure joy, like assisting the birth of a new child into the world when a mother can’t make it to the hospital in time. And we have moments of terrible sorrow, when we answer calls that result in the end of a life. These emotional ranges are the daily make-up of our lives. Yet, we come back each and every day to do the job we love. I have a motto that I frequently say, “Cops run in when everyone else is running away”. We do that because protecting the community is more than just a job, it is our passion. It is a privilege to serve this community. And our Department is just as committed to service today as we were the day that we each took our first Oath. Police Chief Jeff Long