Officer Chris Kevlin is the Community Policing Officer for the Conway Police Department. Officer Kevlin is also the School Resource Officer for the Conway School District. The Conway Police Department is continuously working together with the community and the school district to help solve problems in the community. The Department has a number of on-going programs, although Community Policing is not formally a program or series of programs; it is a philosophy of the Conway Police Department working together with the community and the school districts on problem-solving.
COMMUNITY WATCH PROGRAM
In January of 1997, the Conway Police Department started the Community Watch Program. The pilot program began at Lamplighter's Trailer Park. The program is made up of residents of the neighborhood, with one person being the "Captain" of the neighborhood. The Captain's responsibility is to be the liaison between the neighborhood and the Conway Police Department, with the neighborhood residents serving as the eyes and ears for the Department. Each month the residents of the neighborhood hold a community supper, with Officer Kevlin in attendance. Residents discuss their community problems and work on possible solutions. Every other month a guest speaker is invited to attend the supper. The guest speakers cover a variety of topics which are of interest to the community.
OPEN GYM
Many officers of the Conway Police Department participate in chaperoning an Open Gym night at Kennett High School. The Open Gym program is every Saturday night from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, starting in November and running through the middle of May. The gym is open to middle and high school aged residents of the community. The officers help set up activities and act as positive role models for the students.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM
School Resource Officer Kevlin spends his time working with the Conway School District in assisting in providing a safe, healthy, educational environment. SRO Kevlin has adopted the "triad" model for School Resource Officers. He has been trained in this approach of school-based policing. The "triad" model consists of teacher, counselor, and law enforcement officer. As the teacher, SRO Kevlin can readily translate his experiences and education within the criminal justice system into terms that are easily understood by the students. In the classroom SRO Kevlin can relate to students the contents of those law related education topics which are in line with the current curriculum for each class. This may be the best information on the law that these youths ever obtain.
Using anecdotal information as well as statutory and case law, SRO Kevlin can bring to life the rules of society and its sanctions to those children and adolescents in a way that they can understand. Part of this responsibility is to teach the value of our legal system, formulate an awareness of rules, justice and authority, and portray a realistic picture of laws and their enforcement. The title of Counselor can be misleading to those who do not understand what it is SRO Kevlin does in this area. Being the counselor does not necessarily mean solving the student's problem.
Instead, the SRO is a good listener and has good resources at his disposal so he can direct the student as to where they need to go and allowing the student to look to ways of solving their problems. This is a mentoring approach to student relations. The student relates their issues, the SRO listens, makes suggestions and the student decides, with the support and guidance of the SRO. Finally, the SRO follows up with the student later on to maintain the rapport that was developed and the student sees that the SRO cares and will continue to do so. SRO Kevlin is a trained, experienced law enforcement officer who was chosen for the role of SRO for the Conway School District.
He has a genuine concern, and cares for the students. The training and experience SRO Kevlin has had in his formative years as a police officer bodes well for him in the school setting. With a spectrum of criminal and non-criminal activity with which to act upon, he has those tools up front. Legal issues regarding investigation, search, questioning, and a on-campus arrests must be handled carefully and correctly. We see the triad model in the shape of a triangle. Generally it is displayed as "equilateral." This however, is generally not descriptive of SRO Kevlin's daily work. Depending on the events of the day, the angles of the triangle are always changing. SRO Kevlin is dedicated to the children of the community, helping to make the Conway School District a safe environment.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
SRO Kevlin works with the children of the community as a role model. He is a coach for
elementary school football, basketball, hockey and baseball, as well as the Kennett Junior
High School baseball program. SRO Kevlin's actions are in line with the highest standards
of the Conway Police Department and reflect great credit upon himself and the Law
Enforcement Community.
There are lots of exciting things going on with the Community Policing and School Resource Officer programs. If you have any questions please contact Officer Chris Kevlin at (603) 356-5715 or by e-mail at cpdinfo@conwaypd.com.
Website donated by Webbers Communications
Officer Chris Kevlin is the Community Policing Officer for the Conway Police Department. Officer Kevlin is also the School Resource Officer for the Conway School District. The Conway Police Department is continuously working together with the community and the school district to help solve problems in the community. The Department has a number of on-going programs, although Community Policing is not formally a program or series of programs; it is a philosophy of the Conway Police Department working together with the community and the school districts on problem-solving.