WAILUA — The Junior Police Officers have been around for a long time, and has evolved to the program that encompasses about 250 students in the fourth and fifth grades of Kaua‘i’s public elementary schools. “I was a JPO about
WAILUA — The Junior Police Officers have been around for a long time, and has evolved to the program that encompasses about 250 students in the fourth and fifth grades of Kaua‘i’s public elementary schools.
“I was a JPO about 40 years ago,” said Bill Arakaki, the Kaua‘i Area Complex Superintendent from the Dept. of Education, who thanked the JPO for their hard work throughout the year at the JPO Picnic, Monday at the Lydgate Park Main Pavilion.
Back then, Arakaki said JPO marched and had practices.
Today, the JPO, working under the supervision of four officers from the Kaua‘i Police Dept. work with a different set of expectations. The officers involve Acting Capt. Mark Scribner, Sgt. Rob Gausepohl, officer James Miller and officer Ray Takekawa.
“They learn how to open doors and close doors,” said Bruce Herbig, a counselor at Kalaheo School and a stand-in chaperone for advisor Laine Griffith. “Kalaheo School is unique because it doesn’t have parking spaces. The JPO move the line of cars in and open and close up to eight cars at once before moving the cars out and waving in another eight cars.”
Violet Martin, a sixth grader and a three-year veteran of the JPO program at Kilauea School, said opening doors is part of keeping the children safe.
“We open the doors for the little children so they know they have nice helpers at school,” Martin said. “But we also help them cross the road, direct traffic and help Mr. (Fred) Rose.”
Arakaki said the picnic is one way the DOE shows its appreciation for all the hard work JPO do throughout the year, in the sun or rain.
“I encourage all of you in the fourth grade to return as JPO next year, and for those who are moving on to middle school, I want you to continue to mentor other students just as you did when you were JPO,” Arakaki said. “I thank you and appreciate all the work you do to help keep students safe.”
In addition to the Kaua‘i Police Dept., Arakaki said appreciation goes out to the Kaua‘i Fire Dept. that provides the lifeguards so the JPO could actually swim on a school day.
“We like helping the community,” Martin said, getting some help from fellow JPO Jackson Littlefield who said the experience was rewarding with the best part being the picnic.
Tammie Yoshimori, a co-captain with the Koloa School program under advisor Ray Carvalho, said one of the hardest parts of being a JPO is trying to calm down people who don’t listen.
Logan Fredericksen, a sixth grader at Kilauea School said, “The hardest part of being a JPO is wearing all the equipment. It’s kind of embarrassing, and it’s also hard to have to be in school by 7:30 a.m. on shift days.”
Carvalho said the JPO are a great group of kids to work with.
“It’s a wonderful program for both the kids and the school,” said Fig Mitchell, vice principal for the King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School. “We want to thank the KPD, the KFD and all the people involved in the program.”
Herbig said the JPO do at Kalaheo School do a wonderful job of getting students in and out of school.
“I’m just glad I’m not a chicken in the road,” Herbig said. “The JPO have their jobs down pat.”
