Police chief Rikki Goede initiated the Piedmont Police Department’s initiative to improve its relationship with high school students by sending police officers to meet with Peer Advisors and mandating that every officer walks around campus every day.
Although the initiative has its roots when Goede became police chief in 2013, in just the past six months she has worked on an active shooter drill at PHS; presented on distracted driving, and alcohol at PHS; and spoken about cyber bullying awareness at MHS. This has supplemented efforts such training the Police Explorers, hiring an intern from MHS and talking with PMS about internet safety last year.
“When I talk about kid’s safety, I talk about a three-pronged stool: kids who make good choices or at least know how to fix bad choices, parents that are involved and a police department that works well with your community and the kids,” Goede said. “If we have kids making bad choices, it doesn’t matter how good [the police] are, that stool is not going to be supported.”
Mainly, police captain Jeremy Bowers said they want to demystify the police to students and clarify the department’s priorities and policies.
“We’re encouraging our officers to be present, to be visible, so that it gets to the point so that when a student sees us, on or off campus, it’s not the immediate reaction of ‘Oh, I wonder what’s happening, what’s wrong?’” Bowers said. “It becomes, ‘Hey, it’s Joe and it’s Jeff and they just like to come down and hang out.’”
The police department is also considering reinstating a school resource officer, dedicated entirely to the schools. The position was eliminated around five years ago, when it was not budgeted. Limited funding means that the department is working with the school district to share the costs of the position, which could happen as soon as next year, Goede said.
“With the right officer that works well with kids and builds those relationships, I know what a great bridge it is for the kids to be able to come to us and maybe give us a heads up for a problem before it happens,” Goede said.
Before coming to Piedmont, Goede worked overtime as a kind of school resource officer at schools in San Jose, for twelve years.
“It’s much like parenting: there’s time when you have to be authoritative with a strong hand, and other times you have to be a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on,” Goede said. “You have to gain each other’s trust by building a relationship.”
With students, officers are encountering the challenge of students’ preconceived perceptions about the police.
“I know that there’s a sentiment out there that’s, ‘Oh, curfew, the cops are going to bust you, get you in trouble, call your parents,’” Bowers said.
Most of the interactions between high schoolers and police that shape their relationship occur on the weekends, at night or at parties, and are often related to drinking or violations of the curfew, Bowers said. But he cannot remember a time the police cited anybody for violating the curfew.
“I’m interested in seeing different types of interactions that aren’t based off the formal role that police play and that sort of thing, but more of everyday interactions, where we’re talking with people,” Bowers said.
Bowers wants his officers to be on a first name basis with PHS staff and students to help convey the police department’s policy on issues like the curfew and drinking, he said.
“It’s important to have those familiar relationships [with the schools], because if we can intercede in and preempt something bad by providing a resource or being a sounding board for somebody who needs advice, then that’s a win,” Bowers said. “We want people to know that they can approach us. For ongoing credibility, for ongoing public safety, those good relationships are critical.”
Both Bowers and Goede want students to remember that the police are people too.
“Give us a chance and engage with us,” Bowers said. “The more of a relationship we have, the better for everybody. And, as a dad with three kids in Piedmont, I have a vested interest in ensuring that this department engages its young population in a respectful, healthy manner.”
The police department met with Wellness Center director Ting Hsu-Engleman last year, said head of Peer Advisors counselor Amanda Carlson. After that, they talked at the Peer Advisors’ August retreat and later, ahead of the Peer Advisors’ lesson on drugs and alcohol for sophomores in Social Psychology, discussed alcohol poisoning with them.
“I think it is a good thing that they’re reaching out,” Carlson said. “I’ve noticed when they’re on campus, kids get nervous, and we hope it gets to them seeing just another community member to connect with if they need it.”
Senior Maddie Wood volunteers as a Police Explorer.
“People always shut me down when I have ‘police things’ to say,” Wood said. “From a teenager’s perspective, they don’t get it, but they also do respect the police. They just can’t find common ground.”
Despite everything that the police department is trying, its relationship with high school students is ultimately a two-way street: students should ask questions before they get in trouble, rather than after, Goede said.
“Piedmont is surrounded by a major city with major problems, but Piedmont kids aren’t really exposed to a lot of that,” Goede said. “It is so easy for kids to find themselves in compromising positions, all because they think they’re immortal and make bad decisions. Our job is to make sure you guys are safe.”
