Students in Trouble Offered a Challenge

Students who get into trouble at Channel Islands High School can find themselves attending “Challenge U,” a program designed by Oxnard Police Department Officer Karl Dyer.

“Challenge U, as the name implies, challenges students with behavior problems to enter into agreements to conduct themselves in a positive manner and to accept responsibility for abiding by such agreements,” Oxnard police Sgt. Martin Meyer said.

Dyer, assigned to the department’s youth services division, maintains an office at Channel Islands High School and regularly patrols the campus. Serious crimes are referred to the Probation Department, but students who engage in fighting, smoking, graffiti, truancy and similar behavior usually elect to enroll in Dyer’s program.

Challenge U is made up of three parts--six hours of after-school instruction in dealing with anti-social behavior, eight hours of weekend community service and a physically demanding seven-mile hike through the hills of Sycamore Canyon.

Maintenance personnel who deal with the Channel Islands High School program estimate that graffiti on campus is down 85% since Dyer’s program began, Meyer said.