An Interview with Officer James Adams
JPA Advisory Council Member, Hanford California
You are a longtime JPA Veteran Instructor, correct?
JA: I’ve been doing the program for 7 years.
What was your initiative for starting a program?
JA: Well, ’95 was my first year as a school resource officer and I quickly became aware of other vocational programs at the school but I saw nothing for kids interested in law enforcement. When I was in high school I went to a vocational school for 3 hours in the afternoon in law enforcement prior to college. So, I talked to my partner at the time, Darren Madison. I said, ‘There’s nothing for these kids.’ About that time, I got a package from JPA. I pitched it to the chief and he said to make it happen. I talked to the right people at the school and here we are 7 years later.
What is going on with the program this year?
JA: We hold the program during high school summer school sessions. It is two 3-week sessions. Sixty hours over the course of 15 days. Some students take the program over and over again. Last Wednesday we graduated 24 students and then began again on Monday. Six students came back. We get a chance to really build relationships with these kids in a non-confrontational setting. It is also an opportunity to be in the role of a teacher and advisor.
Why did you decide to do the program during the summer?
JA: Seven years ago when we first looked into this it was very much set up like the D.A.R.E. program. It allowed one hour a day for 15 days or lessons. In the summer, we have move time. We added 75% of the material. Two other officers and myself sat down and added material on the court system, finger printing, self defense, traffic violation and group activities. It is a lot of realistically based training that is not much different from what we get. We decided not to sugarcoat things. We wanted to give them a realistic view.
These are high school kids?
JA: Yes, grades 9 to 12. The class is fully accredited. They get 5 elective credits for taking it.
So, there are no specific requirements?
JA: It is available to every high school student in Hanford and some students even come from out of town.
How much has the program changed since you began it?
JA: We constantly update things. We’re really good about introspection. We look at what works and what doesn’t and how to make things less dry. This year we did a total curriculum rewrite. Every lesson plan was fine tuned and put into standard format. At the convention everyone who wants one will get a copy. We’re in a unique situation. I spent 3 years in D.A.R.E. I was blessed with teaching ability. I love teaching. And Mark, my partner, is great. We bounce ideas off of each other, constantly adding and changing material. Just the other day we had a SWAT demonstration and showed a video. Then we put together some groups and stormed the classroom.
What other factors contribute to your program’s success?
JA: We’re really fortunate to have a department and school district that support us 100%. Whatever we want, they try to help. They ask and get us what we need and they funnel kids to us. Some of these kids aren’t interested in law enforcement. They just need credits and you can see who those kids are right away. In a few days, their attitude changes drastically. We get a chance to reach out to those kids if, for no other reason, then to build better relationships with them.
And how does that make you feel?
JA: I’m very proud that our department is very youth oriented. We have 4 SROs (student resource officers) and our D.A.R.E. officers. We are one of the largest groups in our department. We work all the basketball and football games, the dances, all the extracurricular activities. There is not a student in town that doesn’t know us. We’ve watched them grow up. We are very much involved and to me what I do is everything because I was a troubled kid. If I hadn’t been reached out to by an officer, I would be in prison where two of my friends ended up. This officer reached out to me and enabled me to change my attitude and my life. My focus has always been about changing attitudes, lives; and if I can do it through this, great. My whole life revolves around kids. I could continue doing this until I retire. I love going to work everyday. The kids keep me young.
Have you made any of these life changes in your students?
JA: A few years ago, I became aware of a kid on my campus who was running with a gang. I learned this through my dealings with him as well as his mother who had come to me. She loved her son and knew that beneath his gang-like exterior he had a heart of gold. She told me that he was mine during the day and she came to school all the time. She was very much involved with his schooling. I’d call him over the intercom to come into my office when she came to bring him something, maybe books or his lunch. He hated it, being called out like that. But over time, he realized that it was okay to be acknowledged and we developed a friendship. We started talking. His sophomore year, he went into sports which meant more of that and less time in the streets. Junior year, he got a girlfriend so I didn’t have to call him in. I knew where the two of them sat together. Senior year, he started coming to me about going into the Air Force. I called a recruiter and we met with him and we got him into the Air Force where he has been for the last 4 years. His mom called me this year and she came to visit me. She had 2 large Macy’s bags and asked me if we could go sit somewhere with a big table. We did. She unpacked awards and certificates that covered the whole table. He had even received a promotion ahead of schedule. ‘You see what you did,’ she said, ‘you were responsible for this.’