Deputy Eric Fitzgerald walks into the Sea Gate Elementary School cafeteria in Naples, giving kids high fives. He might help a youngster open their milk container while the other children chatter about their day. Later, he heads to a classroom where kids rush to hug him. While the Youth Relations Deputies in all Collier County Public Schools are there to keep everyone safe, they are also mentors who form lasting relationships with students.
“We all have this passion,” Fitzgerald said of YRDs. “We want the kids to have a positive attitude and interact with us. You can’t wait for stuff to happen.”
In elementary school, the YRDs’ goal is to establish trust and friendships.
“These are real people that are there to help” students, stressed Marc MacDonald, district safety and security administrative supervisor at CCPS. “There is so much negativity about law enforcement in the media that kids are exposed to, [so] establishing a good relationship is critical. It humanizes [our] profession” and lets kids know the YRDs are there to help them.
Sergeant Mike Butcher of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Youth Relations Bureau says it is important to show young kids that officers are not just out to arrest people.
“The biggest thing we hope to accomplish is to break down any barriers that might get in the way of kids talking to law enforcement,” Butcher said. “We want them to be able to talk to us [and know that] we are the ones they can come to for help.”
To further stress the difference between officers on the street and YRDs, the deputies in school wear black collared shirts with the sheriff’s office logo and green pants instead of the typical light gray and green uniform of street officers.
“That softer look always makes [the YRDs] more approachable,” MacDonald explained. “The full-dress uniform is a little more intimidating.”
“Kids are used to seeing the black polo and green pants every day at school, and it gives them a sense of ease,” Fitzgerald added.
Making the rounds
Fitzgerald starts his day at Sea Gate Elementary by greeting children at the car drop-off line.
“It is great because everybody has such great energy in the morning, and the kids are so happy to be coming in. If a kid is having a bad day, you can take them aside and ask what is going on,” he said.
Then Fitzgerald makes his rounds, walking around the school and greeting kids as he checks that everything is shut and secure. He visits kids at lunch, PE, and sometimes in the classroom. He especially enjoys helping out in a classroom for children with special needs, where he reads them books, enjoys watching their lessons, and talks to the children.
The YRD also takes the time to interact with students one-on-one. “One time, I helped a boy who was doing a Boy Scout badge about fingerprinting,” he said. “I had him come to my office and showed him different things with fingerprints. That was fun.”
Building relationships
In addition to being present at school every day, the Youth Relations Bureau provides programs such as L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs), which deputies teach to all fifth graders. The lessons focus on how to resist pressures to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. Fourth graders are enrolled in the Junior Deputy program, where they learn safety tips and are treated to a free day at the Collier County Fair.
These programs all focus on establishing positive relationships between children and deputies. “The people here love the police, and it starts at the very beginning,” Fitzgerald stressed.
The relationships continue as students progress to middle and high school. At these stages, YRDs work to help students understand the difference between right and wrong and learn the boundaries of behavior in society, MacDonald explained. “It is more of a guiding, mentoring relationship.”
No-judgment zone
Butcher said there is an important side effect of forging bonds with students. It can lead to a safer school.
“We are one set of eyes in a school, but if kids feel comfortable, they come to us with threats and things we might not see on our own,” Butcher described.
By high school, the deputies hope the relationships are well established. While there are still some high fives and friendly talk, there is also a more serious side to the student-deputy connection.
“The thing about the high school relationship is there are real-life consequences to their actions,” MacDonald said. “But the juvenile justice system is there to be corrective in learning. It is designed around restorative justice and learning your lesson. You still see the police officer having positive relationships with kids, mentoring and some coaching sports. It is all part of that positive relationship.”
Luke Arnold was a deputy at Barron Collier High School for four years before becoming a sergeant in the YRD department. He now oversees schools in North Naples. He is also one of the assistant coaches for the varsity girls’ beach volleyball team at BCHS.
“There is a different relationship with us than with teachers,” Arnold explained. “Teachers are so busy. Kids can come down and talk to us and share parts of their lives. Sometimes they will just come down and say they had a bad night at their house. It makes me feel good when they come and talk to me. Even when they see cops portrayed as bad, they still come up to me. They trust us to talk. They don’t just see that badge and think they will be arrested. Some of those kids don’t have anyone to talk to at home, but they open up and talk to us. We are a no-judgment zone. We are just here any time you want to talk.”
“We are showing them a father or mother figure,” Arnold said. “Someone who is compassionate and cares about them. I still see kids I arrested in Immokalee 14-15 years ago, and they totally respect me. The kids that don’t get in trouble still interact with us, and it starts with kindergarten. They know we are another safety blanket. A big part of our job is counseling and mentoring. I get really excited about this stuff.”
An Essential part of the school
The YRDs have become part of the fabric of CCPS schools.
Jessica Davis, principal at Sabal Palm Elementary School, says the YRDs are essential to the school community.
“You will find our deputy sitting down reading to kids,” Davis described. “In the cafeteria, you will see them talking to kids and helping them work through issues. I appreciate their role in our school.”
Connor Cassilly, a second grader at Pelican Marsh Elementary School, says he looks up to his deputy and respects him.
“Deputy Reu protected us. He is a kind man,” Connor said. “He always has a smile on his face.”
The starfish story
The YRDs know their number one responsibility is keeping the school safe, but it’s the daily interactions with children that make them feel like they are making a difference.
“Most of this job is not law enforcement related, but it is just as important,” Fitzgerald said.
The deputy said he often feels like the character in the well-known starfish story. It’s the story of a young girl on the beach where thousands of starfish washed up during a storm. As she threw them back into the water, she was told there were too many to save. She replied by tossing another one into the sea and saying “Well, I made a difference for that one.”
“I tell that story to the kids in classes, as I know even the smallest thing can have a tremendous impact,” Fitzgerald concluded.
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