In some of Seattle's neighborhoods that see a high rate of crime, police are deploying a prevention strategy that they hope will build better relationships in the community.
The 12-month mentorship is part of the Seattle Police Activities League, also known as SEAPAL.
Tuesday, Officer Matthew Roberson of the Community Outreach Unit, carried boxes of pizza into a classroom at Aki Kurose Middle School. It is part of a lunch invitation he hopes goes a long way with students.
During the late-morning break, students that are apart of the mentorship program meet with the officer to discuss topics like communication and respect.
Byron is a 6th grader who attends the sessions. He remembers when Officer Roberson first told him about the program.
"I just get in trouble a lot, so one day, he called me over to his office and with my friends, he offered this program. He mentioned free food, you know, chips and stuff, and we all said yes," said Byron.
Food helps capture the student's attention, but what follows is a bigger conversation. There is an emphasis on problem-based learning, team building, and leadership skills.
Chief Carmen Best says the police department is focusing the mentorship efforts in neighborhoods where there are high incidents of shots fired and gang activity. It is being offered at Aki Kurose, Denny International, Washington, and South Shore middle schools.
"We are targeting and looking at youth of color, and we want to make sure particularly young males, if you look at the data that is where the biggest gap is, so we wanted to make sure we targeted those individuals," said Best. "The department is striving to make a real difference in the lives of students and their families while building bridges of long-term trust and confidence."
"We are not trying to be an oppressive law enforcement force in the school, but more like an ally and support," said Ofc. Roberson. "We are learning just as much from these kids. We recognize that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. We need to take a different approach to build relationships with our youth beyond legal encounters."
The mentorship is made possible through $40,000 worth of grant funding.
