Q & A

Anaheim Police Officer / School Board Member Harald G. Martin

Harald G. Martin is convinced that prevention is the key to reducing crime and that the best prevention is education. The Anaheim police officer has served for the past two years on the board of Anaheim Union High School District and was recently elected to the Anaheim City School District board as well. An advocate of back-to-basics education, Martin spoke recently with Times correspondent Jennifer Leuer about his goals.

Q: Why did you decide to run for the elementary district board in addition to keeping your seat on the high school board?

A: One of my big things is accountability. When I got into the high school district, my ability to hold people accountable went out the window. I found out many kids in the seventh grade were coming in with fourth- and fifth-grade math and reading skills. We have to stop moving kids based on age from grade to grade. We have to make sure they can be successful at the next level, whether we have to hold them back or put them in summer school programs. . . . If they have the skills to be successful, they won’t have to fall back on an excuse. Then we’ll have less gang activity and other problems.

Q: What are the major issues facing Anaheim Union High School District?

A: I still think it’s accountability. With new Supt. Jan Billings, the district has begun to pull together as a team. . . . Some of the things we are doing now with the Regional Occupational Program and Vision 20/20 allow kids to see a greater link with what they’re doing. If they want to be a mechanic, they can also see that they can own their own shop and that they need math and business skills. I also would like to get an officer on school campuses to act as a problem solver. If a kid isn’t getting breakfast, send the police officer out to the parents and ask why the child isn’t being fed. It’s not the school system doing it, it’s the police department. The school district needs to get back to education. If there are other needs, then we will do referrals to other agencies. I want to see if we can get grants from the Department of Justice where we can get officers to be part of the school.

Q: How would you like to see facilities shortage handled? For instance, do you support a double-track system of having half the students attend classes in the mornings and the other half come in after lunch?

A: I’m very much opposed to it. Unfortunately, we may have to go to that. In Anaheim, we have too many people here illegally who are flooding the school system. I want to work with the board and the city to reduce that problem, then we won’t have to go to a double-track system.