POLICE OFFICER TO BEGIN WORK AT L.J. SCHULTZ

A second Cape Girardeau police officer will be stationed in the city's public schools starting this spring.

The officer will be headquartered at L.J. Schultz seventh-grade center and primarily will serve Schultz and the district's elementary schools.

Cpl. Barry Hovis started in 1997 as the first school resource officer, headquartered at Central High School. He was hired to serve the entire school district with the understanding that more officers would likely be hired.

The police department is in the process of hiring a new patrolman for the force. Once that person is in place, a tenured officer will be selected to serve as the school resource officer.

Police Chief Rick Hetzel said, "We knew that once we started putting an officer in the schools, he would have enough activities that officer at the high school would not provide adequate coverage."

Three-fourths of the funding for the resource officer comes through the COPS Universal Hiring Grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. The remaining 25 percent of the cost of the position is paid by the school district. The Kiwanis Club has made a multi-year commitment to help fund the position.

Cape Girardeau Police Department first applied for the grant in 1995. The city was approved for three positions.

Hovis will continue working at the high school and junior high. The new officer will have an office at Schultz and will also work with elementary schools.

The school resource officer conducts classroom presentations, coordinates group discussions and patrolling school premises and surrounding areas. The officer also does crime prevention training for faculty and staff members.

In addition, the officer works to build a rapport with students.

"So far Barry Hovis has done what people describe as an excellent job," Hetzel said. "It's also important to remember that the problems we saw at the high school a decade ago we are now seeing at the middle school."

Schultz Principal Rob Huff agreed that reaction to Hovis' program has been very positive. Huff looks forward to having another police officer on staff.

"Officer Hovis has done a wonderful job," Huff said. "It's just hard for him to be at eight places at the same time."

Huff said having a police officer on the school campus gives students a chance to get to know officers. "They know the officer is someone they can trust," Huff said.

The goal is to help prevent youngsters from getting into trouble, Huff said.

"This is a real good example of the school system, the community and the police department all working together," Huff said.