It operates with a zero budget, sustained only by the effort and enthusiasm of volunteers. The program involves officers from the California Highway Patrol and the Lake County Sheriff s Office as a regular part of the school program and culture. Three officers visit classrooms and individual students. They begin by showing students their law enforcement equipment and explaining its use. When the students start to feel safe with these officers, tours of patrol vehicles, bike safety lessons, stranger safety lessons and formal discussions quickly lead into sharing of stories, eating lunch together, helping with special projects and invitations to parties.
Lake County is one of the five most impoverished counties in the state of California.
High rates of drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic abuse, teen pregnancy and dropouts impact the children of Lake County every day. Nevertheless, a sense of belonging to the school is evidenced by the students. The campus serves as a community park and recreation center. And those who use the campus have set up an informal community watch to safeguard the school and alert the police or Riviera Security Patrol if anything seems amiss. This program is helping to ensure that students have a safe place to learn and is renewing community trust in authority figures.