Chief Hopes to Restore Police Programs in Harrison Schools

Once a powerful front line in the Harrison Police Department's fight against youth drug use, crime and dangerous behavior, budget cuts have trimmed the student resource officer (SRO) and D.A.R.E programs at Harrison's schools over the last few years.

The police department once had a full-time D.A.R.E officer, two youth detectives and two student resource officers, one in the high school and one in the middle school. Now only one student resource officer remains, creating new obstacles for the school district and police department.

The most recent change took place two years ago, when the middle school SRO program was cut. As a compromise, the remaining high school SRO officer now also runs the D.A.R.E program at the middle school. The solution was worked out between the police department and school district because it keeps a police presence in each school.

“That was our way to connect, as best we still could, the SRO to the middle school population,” said Harrison School Superintendent Louis Wool. “We both thought that was the best compromise we could make in light of the program being downsized.”

The key to the SRO and D.A.R.E programs is that they educate students while providing a positive experience with police at a young age. The programs also give police a closer look at the issues affecting the town's youth and a better working knowledge of any possible criminal activity. 

But as the programs have endured cuts over the years, Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini said he is concerned that a disconnect is building between police and Harrison's youth. That disconnect could lead to bigger problems as the students grow older, he said.

Those issues might already be affecting the town. According to police arrest numbers, drug arrests in Harrison nearly doubled from 2010 to 2011. There were also no juvenile arrests in 2010, but 12 last year. Marraccini said the up tick in these crimes is something to keep an eye on.

"I think that's all part of it," he said. "We've seen an increase in drug use, we've seen an increase in prescription medication use, we've seen an increase in the synthetic type or natural earth type bath salts or drugs, which was one of the reasons that prompted me to reinstate the D.A.R.E. program."

The program cuts have also set the department back with battling modern issues like cyber bullying, the chief said.

"These are avenues that we were just starting to educate our kids on when we had a full staff," Marraccini said. "That just stopped."

Although the decision to pull officers from the schools ultimately rests with the police chief, Marraccini said staffing cuts left him without a choice. Staffing reductions in his department , as staffing levels have dipped from an all-time high of 77 in 2008 to a low of 59 last year. The cuts meant more officers were needed for street patrol, Marraccini said.

"Unfortunately with staffing issues there is less and less time being spent on the school resource officer program," said Marraccini. "It wiped everyone out."

In order to offset the budget cuts, Wool said he and the police chief have a very close working relationship. With less of a direct police presence in the schools, Wool credits the department for keeping the schools safe through quick responses and quality police work.

“In terms of safety issues, if we ever have any kind of potential threats, the response is comprehensive, immediate, and overwhelmingly positive,” Wool said. “They’ve really stepped it up knowing that we no longer have the luxury of having the second officer.”

But Marraccini said responding to problems quickly isn't as effective as the programs once in place, pointing out that having the same officer in the school at all times provides continuity for both the students and the officer.

Unfortunately, he said, the only way to do that is to restore some of the eliminated police positions. The Town Board in the 2012 budget, and if the trend continues the chief said he hopes to restore staffing of the school programs sometime in the future.

Until then, Wool said the school district will continue to make the most of the programs it still has. Programs he said still have a positive influence on Harrison students.

“Having an SRO in both schools was a tremendous benefit and asset, but I certainly understand the difficulty that the town faces in providing resources in such a very difficult economy,” he said. “We’re grateful we have been able to maintain the SRO and the DARE program through these times.”