OXNARD : Cops and Jocks Team Up for Commercial

More than a dozen police cars swarmed onto the Oxnard High School football field Friday afternoon.

About 60 law enforcement officials from 15 agencies--including the U.S. Coast Guard--were on hand to make a public service commercial with 46 area high school football players in uniform and nearly as many cheerleaders.

Santa Paula police reservist Rich Randolph organized the two-hour shoot for a 30-second commercial.

“The purpose of all this is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the high school students,” Randolph said.

The 30-second spot for the “Cops ‘n’ Jocks” program is scheduled to air on local cable and Ventura County television stations throughout this fall’s football season.

This will be the sixth season the commercial runs in support of the program, under which police and sheriff’s deputies adopt a high school sports team. Cops ‘n’ Jocks is designed to help teen-agers gain a friendly appreciation for law enforcement in a non-stressful environment.

“It’s a good time to meet other players from different schools,” said Simi Valley High School center Casey Soto. Simi Valley was one of 23 high schools from Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties participating in the commercial.

“I hope this is the only time I talk to the cops this year,” half-joked Fillmore High School quarterback James Cummings, 17. James and teammate Tim Pina were chatting with Saint Bonaventure High School linebacker Sal Germann in between shots.

“What’s a seraph?” Tim asked Sal. The players at Ventura’s Saint Bonaventure are called the Seraphs, a form of angel with six wings.

All Ventura County police departments were represented Friday except the Simi Valley Police Department. In addition, police agencies from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties were represented alongside the California Highway Patrol.

The program operates on an annual budget of only $3,000, most of which is donated by the Ventura County Peace Officers Assn. and the McDonald’s Corp. For more information, call Randolph at (805) 525-4474.