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**U.S. Department of Justice** Office of Community Oriented Policing Services  145 N Street, N.E.  Washington, DC 20530 www.cops.usdoj.gov×  Menu  - Home
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**Leading by Example: Building Relationships with Youth**
 November 2018 | Volume 11 | Issue 11

As the school resource officer at the Little Egg Harbor (New  Jersey) Police Department, I am responsible for the protection of the school  community. I believe that youth engagement extends into the community and not  just my typical beat within the high school. When I was first assigned to the  schools, I was not the most enthusiastic about the change. At the time, I would  have rather worked midnights instead of the schools! However, since being  assigned to schools and interacting with the student population every day, I  have seen the importance of building relationships in a proactive approach. By  building these relationships with youth, I am able to not only shape the way  they view law enforcement, but also help to mold them into productive community  members. In addition to seeing the youth in the schools, I also see them  throughout town, including church on Sunday. This helps the youth to see us as  human beings, rather than just robots. We are regular people with spouses and  children and it opens their eyes to that fact.

I am also very involved with our Explorers and I do  everything I can to ensure they are involved in township events. Whenever there  is an event, we work to have our Explorers assisting. By having them  participate in activities where they live, youth become invested in their  community. A successful Explorers program involves diverse youth from varied  backgrounds. If a young person feels invested in our town, then he or she will  volunteer his or her time and create a successful program. Explorers that have  a job or participate in school activities, including athletic programs,  contribute to creating well-rounded individuals. Ultimately, a well-rounded  youth will continue to participate with law enforcement, and in turn become  closer to the community.

While working to build a large number of relationships  within my community, the youth are a critical partner in building a strong  community. This is the heart of community policing. Relationship building and  communication are key to community policing and in turn, community policing is  key to law enforcement. Our greatest responsibility is to demonstrate to the  community the mantra “Lead by Example,” so we can all make our community a  better place to live.

Sean Crotty, Sergeant   Little Egg Harbor (New Jersey) Police Department

   Edited by Nazmia Comrie, Senior Program Specialist   COPS Office

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**Read more of the November Dispatch**
- Director’s Corner: Recognizing Law Enforcement Excellence
- Profiles of Distinguished Law Enforcement
- Honor and Courage: Responding to Tragedy
- Leading by Example: Building Relationships with Youth
- COPS Office Increases Tribal Access to Critical Crime Information with $1.5 Million in Support
- New Publications from the COPS Office
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