HAMPDEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER Maine) - How can school resource officers remain approachable without making a student feel as if they are a tattler? Especially, when it's sensitive information that could have life or death implications. One Maine school resource officer is building a repour with students and staff at RSU 22, and he says his way of community policing is working for him.
Sergeant Dan Stewart is the armed school resource officer for the towns of Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport, and Frankfort. He wears a full Hampden Public Safety uniform, responds to incidents at all schools in the district and he is an EMT. When he is not on an active call, he walks the hallways, checks the doors, and rattles handles to make sure empty classrooms are locked. Stewart has served on the force for 25 years, and 8 of those years as a SRO.
“People think a SRO is an armed cop sitting at the door waiting for the next big bad thing to happen," said Stewart. "It’s so much more than that.”
He clocks in at 7:00 a.m. and he stays past the last bell to attend extracurricular activities and sports, such as basketball. Stewart is known to open the concession stand, cook the hot dogs and to make the popcorn until volunteers appear to take over. He believes the extra-effort outside of class, will go a long way with students and staff.
“It’s that whole community feeling and I think the kids would relate to me better if I’m someone who is supporting them, rather than someone who punches a clock and goes home.”
A large fraction of his responsibilities falls under the realm of an educator and counselor, not as a police officer. "Which is a good thing," he added. "We don’t want to have to arrest kids. We don’t want to give kids criminal records. We would rather work with the school system.”
Stewart also teaches students at Hampden Academy the importance of being aware of your surroundings.
"I’m trying to get kids to think, when you come into a building, go to a movie theater and go to the mall, think of where the exits are. Take that extra minute or two to look around and see where your exits are. If something bad were to happen where are you going to go?”
Sgt. Dan Stewart from RSU 22 speaks on arming teachers, lessons learned from schools shootings and what needs to be done to keep students safe in class
As for school shootings, Hampden Academy is prepared for the worst. The district will host a drill this summer, when class is out of session, to apply different scenarios with the lessons learned from recent school tragedies.
"It's a very sad thing to think that I may have to take down a student," said Stewart. The mindset is that if someone is taking other peoples live you have to stop that and that's what you have to train for."
Students at Hampden Academy refer to Sargaent Stewart as "Stewie." Some students feel comfortable texting him to make him aware of an issue, and after graduation they can request him on Facebook.
Tune in Thursday May 17, at 6:00 p.m. for the full report on NEWS CENTER Maine