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The Portales Police were faced with a floundering Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program that was about to lose it’s funding. They needed a school-based program to replace DARE, and they wanted one that would be more effective than DARE had been. So they asked all the second graders of town to "adopt a cop." Portales is located in east central New Mexico near the Texas state line. It has a population of approximately 14,000. Traditionally, Portales has had an agricultural economy. In addition, the City is home to Eastern New Mexico University and has Cannon Air Force Base nearby. The Portales Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, with 25 certified officers and 13 civilian positions. It operates a regional communication center and animal control facilities. In most aspects, it is typical of law enforcement agencies across the country. In 1994, the Portales Police Department was faced with the end of its DARE grant. The City had one full-time DARE officer. This officer was solely dedicated to the program and had no patrol duties. The Department questioned its ability to continue funding the program. The Department doubted it could absorb the DARE program without hurting its ability to perform basic law enforcement duties. Funding was not the only question that needed to be addressed. The Department saw the emergence of a gang problem in the community. Many of the gang members were current DARE participants or graduates. The Department had to discover the best way to use its scarce resources. Was the DARE program cost-effective? Was it reaching children at the right age level? Was the program right for this community? In 1994, they eliminated the DARE program, reassigned its officer to the patrol division, and replaced the program with something else; the Adopt-A-Cop program. One of the programs advantages is that the Department can tailor it to fit the special needs of the community. It is flexible, low cost, and community oriented. The Portales Police Department decided to target children younger than those served by the DARE program. Officers thought that second-graders would be most likely to benefit from the program. Officers also felt this younger group wouldn't have preconceived ideas about the police. Instead of using only one dedicated officer like the DARE program did, the Adopt-A-Cop program involved nearly a dozen officers. The program started out in all 11 of the second-grade classes in town. The Department asked for volunteers and was able to place 11 officers in the program. These officers were from both the patrol and investigative divisions. The program started out with giving the second-graders a choice of police officers to "adopt." The officers visited various classes. The classes voted on which officer they would adopt. The adopted officer visited the classroom at least once a week to teach a small lesson on a wide variety of topics. These topics could be on drug use, bicycle safety, self-esteem, or any other relevant subject. There was no structured curriculum or script, which allowed the officers to address special issues immediately, if it seemed appropriate. The program is low-cost. The officers were given compensation time for the required weekly meetings with their class, but many officers put in much more time on their own. In addition to making weekly visits, many of the officers ate lunch with their adopted class. Some officers even provided pizza parties at their own expense. The adopted officers could often be found with the children at recess. In one cooperative project, several officers got a local business to donate 100 small oak trees, which the children planted around the school's playground. The classes shared responsibility for watering and caring for the trees. In this way, the officers became an integral part of the children's lives. The "adopted" officer remains with the class for the full school year. The Department held an Adopt-A-Cop Olympics at the end of the school year to bring all of the classes together and provide one last fun activity. All of the second-grade classes were taken to a local park where they competed in different team games. Everyone was awarded ribbons and no one went away a loser. Some Fire Department personnel donated their time and brought out one of the pumper trucks. Local businesses donated refreshments. The event seemed to put a successful cap on the school year. After being in place for 10 years know, the Adopt-A-Cop program has proven to be very successful. More and more officers are volunteering to be "adopted" cops. The program is well received by the community and the school system. Other grade levels have requested the program, as have private schools in the area. It has become a true success story, winning several local and state awards. It has created excellent public relations and enhanced the image of the police department. More importantly, it has had a positive effect on the children and the officers. The children are excited and happy to see the officers. It is not uncommon for an on-duty officer to see a child point at him excitedly and call him by name. The positive interaction promises long-lasting benefits for everyone involved with the program. For more information, contact Jeffrey M. Gill, Chief of Police, Portales Police Department, 1700 N. Boston, Portales, NM 88130. Phone: (505) 356-4404. Fax: (505) 359-0346.
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