New deputy on duty in Sisters schools

Deputy Brent Crosswhite has been in law enforcement with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office for 16 years, as a patrolman and as a detective. Now for the first time, he's serving as a school resource officer in Sisters schools.

Deputy Crosswhite is finding the experience to be "an entirely different facet of law enforcement."

Law enforcement work in the schools is the essence of community policing. Crosswhite is building relationships of trust with students and staff to head off issues before they become more serious problems. Issues that come up range from minor-in-possession beefs to bullying.

Cyberbullying has become more prevalent across the nation along with ready access to technology. Teens, especially at middle school age, often lack a clear understanding of what's appropriate and what's not and where the line between horsing around and doing something hurtful might lie. And they have little appreciation for the power of the technology they hold in their hands.

"If it goes through their minds, it goes out on their phone," Crosswhite said. "But once you hit that send button, it's out there and you can't get it back."

Deputy Crosswhite recommends that parents monitor their children's online activities, control the amount of time they are on their devices - and know your kids' passwords.

The deputy has been working with middle schoolers on the bullying issue and has found them "pretty receptive."

"I'm offering them some solutions," he said.

Deputy Crosswhite notes that it's not just the victim of bullying who is at risk. Bullies can do damage to themselves - not least of which is the potential for criminal liability for harassment or other charges.

Parents have been receptive to Deputy Crosswhite's efforts, too.

"The amount of parental involvement here is higher than I would have expected," he said. "I think it's a good thing... I've found that parents are pretty open to positive intervention from law enforcement."

One thing Deputy Crosswhite is not is a disciplinarian. That's not the proper role for a school resource officer.

"We're not in the classroom enforcing school policy," Deputy Crosswhite said. "The administrators here are really good at handling those issues."

Crosswhite is a resource and has an open door for students to enter and raise concerns about safety and security. And if Crosswhite isn't the right guy for them to talk to about a particular issue or concern, he can provide resources for them.

Part of the work is "letting them see that, hey, law enforcement officers are real people," Crosswhite said, and offer them positive interaction with an officer.

Security is always a concern in a world where any school can be vulnerable to violence from within or without. Having a law enforcement presence on the campuses of the three schools is important to providing a deterrent.

"Mere presence is a big part of it," Crosswhite said. "That may be the biggest part - being here, being visible."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 5415499941