Police officer undertakes security at local school

By SUSIE XU
Collegian Staff Writer

A new figure in uniform will be among the students, faculty and staff at State College Area High School today.

Officer Tom Dann of the State College Police Department is assuming the role of resource officer at the school's north and south buildings. His responsibilities include enhancing school security and educating students and faculty about security and health and safety issues.

Sgt. John Wilson of the State College police, who helped plan and implement the program, said it is community-oriented and will address a variety of needs. However, the plan is not a result of unsafe conditions at the school, he said.

"This is in no way a response to concern about the school environment," said Michael Griffin, principal of the school's north building.

The program is funded by a three-year state grant. Wilson, Griffin and Joyce Harvey, principal of the school's south building, have been planning the program since the early 1990s.

Considering the recent increase in school violence, Harvey said the school wanted to take precautions in order to ensure the safety of its students and faculty members.

"We're trying to stay ahead of the game," Harvey said. "We want (to create the) feeling of a safe and secure environment."

Dann was one of six candidates for the resource officer position. Harvey said she and Griffin looked for someone with at least three years experience as an officer and a background in working with young people to fill the position.

With 10 years of experience as an officer and interest in interacting with high school students, Dann was most appropriate for the position, Harvey said.

Other schools in the state, such as those in York, also have employed resource officers, finding the programs to be extremely successful.

"It's a growing trend. I think we'll be seeing more and more of this," Wilson said.

Although the grant will only provide funding for the first three years of the program, an evaluation will be made on the program's effectiveness after the third year to determine its future.

Wilson, Griffin and Harvey all expressed their optimism concerning the new curriculum.

"We have a lot of high hopes and plans," Wilson said. "We certainly anticipate this to be a long-term thing."