School violence targeted

WASILLA -- The Mat-Su Borough School District board is set to decide Wednesday evening whether to approve a program placing a police officer at Wasilla High School.

A federal grant is available to pay most of the cost for a school resource officer, however, the district would need to kick in $40,000 for the start-up and about $17,000 in operating costs each year afterward.

Wasilla Police Department will apply within days for the federal portion, then hope the district supports the plan by paying its share, said Wasilla police communications manager Charlie Fannon. Tuesday is the deadline to file the grant request.

Money for public education is tight, Fannon noted, particularly under the funding cutback considered by Gov. Frank Murkowski.

"All we can do is hope the state funds education at a reasonable level," Fannon said.

If implemented, the program would set up a base for the officer at Wasilla High but he or she also would visit Burchell High School, Wasilla Middle School and Iditarod Elementary School.

"This would be an on-site deterrent to school violence and substance abuse," Wasilla High assistant principal Dan Michaels told the school board during a May 21 presentation. "Students would be connecting with an officer to create a positive atmosphere with law enforcement.

"For instance, the officer could be involved in talks with students in law-related studies and government classes. He or she could partner with juvenile justice and youth court."

The officer would be an addition to Wasilla Police Department, although the person who actually takes the job may already be employed by the department. If that happens, a new officer would be hired as a replacement.

Wasilla police chief Don Savage told the board chances are "very high" of getting the federal grant, which would provide $125,000 during a three-year period.

"About 75 percent of the time the officer will be in the school," Savage added. "During the rest of the year, he or she will be a juvenile officer in the field."

The latter role would be made easier because the officer already would have built a relationship with many children, Savage said.

Fannon said vandalism and theft traditionally plummet at schools that implement such programs.

"Almost every district reports a change in attitude, too," he said. "The kids gain respect for what the police officer does."

Board member Linda Menard, at the May 21 school board meeting, recalled there was once an officer at Houston and Wasilla schools but they had to end the program for financial reasons. Menard said she supports the concept, but is concerned that it may disappear once the federal grant runs out.

"We have had a discussion with the principals and all said they'd figure out a way to pay for it later," Michaels replied.