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The question of how to provide security for the recreation agency is always a problem. Do you hire your own force? Do you have them wear uniforms and guns? Or do you work out a relationship so that seeing a police officer in a park or community center is a common occurrence? What if you exchange facilities and other resources while actually getting to know the people who "protect and serve?"

According to Debbie Carlson, CPRP, executive director of the River Trails Park District: "It is hard to remember exactly when the relationship began with our police department. We kept bumping into each other at different community events and commitments. Our philosophies and goals are very similar, even complimentary."

"After we both realized that we didn't bite, it was time we started working together and sharing valuable resources," says Bill Roscop, a law enforcement officer in the Crime Prevention Unit of the Mount Prospect Police Department, who works with the River Trails Park District.

Officer Bill Roscop of the Mount Prospect Police Department is assigned to monitor the River Trails Park District and visits the playgrounds at least once daily. Here, he gives a young girl on a playground an extra push.

What follows are benefits that the River Trails Park District has discovered through developing a relationship with the local police department. Note that some of the benefits are the same for both entities. Benefits to Law Enforcement • Recreation agencies provide a "captive audience" for police departments to share their message with the community they serve. Police may visit day camps, day care, swimming pools and other programming and speak on current topics such as gang awareness, drug abuse prevention, and safety. Police messages can actually be incorporated into a program, distributing it to those who need the information but are not easily accessible.

• When police participate in recreation events and programs, it provides a nonthreatening, friendly environment to communicate with the public. Often, the only time citizens meet with police are when a crime has been committed and the person is either the victim or the offender. This does not leave anyone involved with a pleasant memory.

• Recreation facilities are typically scattered throughout a community. This reaches all parts of the community. Police rely on these facilities for meetings, such as Neighborhood Watch or Community Alert. The facilities also are used for police-sponsored events, such as bicycle rodeos, dances or sports tournaments.

• Park facilities offer new avenues to

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getting the message out by using recreation brochures, kiosks and facility bulletin boards.

• Police frequenting the recreation facilities, parks and programs fosters better relationships and understanding of what a recreation professional actually does. It will decrease unwanted activity and create a safer environment that makes the police officer's job easier. Through understanding comes better ways to serve and acceptance of the needs of the staff and participants.

Benefits to Recreation Agencies

• Police presence is a deterrent for inappropriate behavior. An established relationship with police empowers therecreation agency's staff.

• Putting names to faces and building relationships with the police will motivate the police to their very best each time they respond. It will make the facilities and parks more "theirs."

• The police will better understand when we call and the major reasons for the calls.

• The recreation agency will feel more comfortable calling the police. Knowing what to do and who to talk to makes it much easier to solve problems, such as vandalism and theft.

• The police will want to come to the parks and facilities. It will become a part of their patrol.

• The staff of the recreation agencies will better understand what the police have to deal with on a daily basis. We will become better at dealing with problems by calling at the appropriate time and knowing what to do about a crime committed in the park.

A partnership philosophy among families, police departments, schools, churches and park districts is key to making a difference in the lives of youth today. Most park districts already subscribe to this philosophy and for years have been teaming-up with various organizations in our communities. Two specific programs that involve cooperation by the River Trails Park District and local law enforcement are the Youth Peer Jury program and PACT (Police and Children Together) camp program.

Police presence in the parks helps kids feet more comfortable and positive about police officers.

Youth Peer Jury Program The Youth Peer Jury program gives first-time juveniles offenders one last chance to avoid the formal court system. A young person who has been caught in a nonviolent misdemeanor crime, such as petty theft, is placed in front of a jury of their peers for sentencing. Sentencing generally includes a specified amount of community service hours (at, for example, park districts), and a written essay on a subject related to the offense or letters of apology. The local police department heads the program along with residents from the community who act as "adult coordinators." Student volunteers in grades 8 through 12, representing diverse backgrounds, are selected for the jury. Once selected, the students participate in a training program that gives them a background in juvenile law and communication skills. Students are advised on how to ask appropriate questions, disseminate information, arrive at appropriate solutions and maintain strict confidentiality. The last piece of the puzzle involves community organizations that offer to supervise the offender while he or she completes the required community service hours.

Why does the River Trails Park District participate? Free labor! Well, not really. In fact, it is true that the offenders have helped the park district complete work that needed to get done and that is a benefit of the partnership. On the other hand, our staff generally spends a fair amount of time directing and supervising the offender. Sometimes we have arranged for staff to come in at odd hours to be able to accommodate the time the offender is available, which is often around their school schedules. With only a couple exceptions, the offenders have worked very hard and seem to be very grateful to have been given the opportunity to avoid the formal court system.

Does it work? Yes! Statistics show that communities that have peer jury programs show the rate of repeat offenders is very low. One community has stated a rate of 95 percent of non-repeat offenders. Another benefit to the park district is being a positive influence in the life of a young person and hopefully helping them move their life forward in a positive and constructive manner. And that is why the River Trails Park District participates in the Youth Peer Jury program.

PACT Camp Program

PACT stands for Police and Children Together, a summer camp program developed by the Law Enforcement Foundation of Illinois. Last summer, the River Trails Park District partnered with the local law enforcement agency by providing a facility to house the one-week camp program and provide fun facilities for the group to use such as the pool and miniature golf.

The local police department organized the program. Approximately 16 juveniles specifically were selected because they already had been "in contact" with the police and were not involved in any extracurricular activities. The goal is for youth to enjoy a positive experience with police officers and learn to respect one another and people in the community.

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Camp activities included exercise, swimming, mini-golf, a tour of the local airport, a demonstration from the law enforcement bomb squad and K-9 unit, as well as a team challenge course.

How did the River Trails Park District benefit? Many of the 16 children were not aware of the park district facilities and now they are. Our philosophy has always been that if they're inside our building playing basketball or ping-pong or swimming at the pool, they aren't out getting involved in something that is not constructive. Also, our involvement gives us the opportunity to form a stronger relationship with the police department.

In any relationship, there is work. Nothing just happens. Opening a line of communication is the largest obstacle. Once you have a contact who is committed to making it happen, things change instantly. You have someone to call when the officer or recreation staff member does not do exactly what should have been done. It can be worked out, instead of left alone to fester. Recognizing the importance and problems of both sides nurtures patience and creates the possibility for success. •

KAREN KIESTER, CPRP
is the superintendent of recreation for the River Trails Park District.

BILL ROSCOP
is a law enforcement officer with the Crime Prevention Unit of the Mount Prospect Police Department.

DEBBIE CARLSON, CPRP
is the executive director of the River Trails Park District.

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