Officer’s Beat Is 2 Santa Paula Schools

Following a trend seen on campuses in Oxnard, Ventura and Simi Valley, Santa Paula school officials hired their first on-campus police officer this year.

Michelle Velasco, who divides her time between Santa Paula High and Isbell Middle School, said she intends to help students who are struggling in school and who are trying to stay away from drugs and crime. She also hopes to improve the relationship between students and officers.

“A lot of times there’s a stigma between youth and police,” said Velasco, 32, who was born and raised in Santa Paula. “I’m trying to build a solid rapport, to let them know we are here for them in a positive way.”

Velasco’s position is being funded by a $260,000 federal grant. School administrators are also using the grant to pay for a part-time probation officer and to open after-school and weekend community learning centers on both campuses.

The centers will offer job-skills training, gang-intervention counseling, parenting groups and literacy classes in both English and Spanish. They will be open Monday through Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The goals of the program are to reduce the number of families living in poverty, to cut crime at school and in the community and to increase student achievement.

The schools are working in cooperation with the Ventura County Community College District, Santa Paula Family Resource Center, the Ventura County Probation Agency and the Santa Paula Police Department.

Santa Paula Police Chief Bob Gonzales, who has served as a trustee on both the elementary and high school district boards, said he was pleased to finally be able to provide an officer at the schools.

“Prior to this, we were just responding to calls,” Gonzales said. “Now, we will be able to have some intervention and we will be able to work with kids who are at risk.”

During school Friday, Velasco spoke about the dangers of the date-rape drug Rohypnol to one class at Santa Paula High. Then, after checking with the attendance office, the officer visited a freshman who had skipped school for five days. When she arrived at his home, music was blaring from a window. She gave him a ticket and told him to get dressed for school.

Bill Brand, superintendent of Santa Paula Union High School District, said Velasco has already had an effect on school security.

“Safety has to be the No. 1 issue,” he said. “Without a safe environment, learning can’t take place.”