ST. MARYS — Just the sight of a black-and-white cruiser with the light bar on the roof can put a damper on wrongdoing.
Officers in the school safety program at the St. Marys Area School District needed a vehicle. The deterrent effect of a marked patrol car is measurable. That, along with a need to travel between buildings in the St. Marys district, was enough to spur St. Marys businesses into action.
Officer John Lovett, school safety and security coordinator, explained that businesses Bluewater Thermal Solutions, St. Marys Auto Body, Buerk’s Septic Service, Metco Industries, City of St. Marys, Steve’s Lawnmower Repair, Sinterfire Inc. and Elk County Ammo and Arms were quick to offer assistance to help out.
“We all run into budgetary problems,” Lovett said. Adding a marked patrol car to the district’s safety department “is an asset to the community.”
He explained the school safety program is similar to, but different from, the school resource officer program that Bradford Area School District has in place.
“We’re within the school district,” he said, explaining two full-time and two part-time officers are employed by the district itself, and are not members of a police force.
“I am a retired police officer,” Lovett said. He served about 24 years with St. Marys police and three years as chief of Emporium Borough police. The other officers are retired, some from the state police. The officers are Act 120 certified, which means they have arrest power.
“There’s pros and cons of both sides,” Lovett said of the differing programs between Bradford and St. Marys. One pro he mentioned is: “The district doesn’t have to go back and forth with the chief on rules and regulations.”
Lovett said the school safety program has been in place in St. Marys since 1995. “St. Marys was doing things before some of the other schools were,” he said. “Obviously, because of the times we live in, we’ve increased our presence.”
He explained the district is in the process of adding two additional part-time officers.
“With respect to our duties, they are obviously to patrol inside and outside the schools,” Lovett explained. “We file truancy charges as well as having the power to file other charges if need be. We assist the principals of each building with whatever issues they have during the day.”
There may be behavioral issues, or the police may be asked to provide security for an event.
Lovett and another officer teach ALICE training, which is active shooter response. “I talk to the kids about driver’s safety. When the freshmen come up, I talk to them about behavior and discipline.”
When asked to compare his former job of a police officer with his current job in the schools, Lovett said, “At the end of a career, this is probably the best job you can have.”
He explained, “You have the opportunity to make a difference. You always try to work with the kids” when working as a police officer, but it isn’t always possible.
“In this case, every day you are there with them, and you are available to them. You hope you make a difference to a child.”
National statistics show that having a police officer in a school reduces juvenile crime by about half. Not only does having an officer there enable the students to interact with them in a friendly setting, it also teaches the student that officers are approachable.
Lovett said students will ask him questions, and he will offer advice on things like what to do in a traffic stop, or what they can expect in the criminal justice system should they get in trouble.
