An Interview with Officer Mark Dillon, retired
Hanford Police Department, Hanford California
How long have you been working with [JPA Council Member] Jim Adams?
MD: We’ve worked together on and off with various programs for 10 years.
How many years have you two worked together with JPA?
MD: The last 6.
So you guys jointly instruct the class?
MD: Yes. I went back to college a few years ago to become certified as a single subject teacher.
Your JPA program runs in the summer. What do you do during the school year?
MD: I’m in charge of D.A.R.E. and many other youth programs and I’ve been an officer for 26 years. I also have a sideline business as a photographer. I primarily do portraits but Hanford isn’t a big community so I do a little of everything. During JPA I keep a digital camera on hand.
I’ve spoken to Officer Adams about the details of your program but I’d like to know what you think about it?
MD: I’m absolutely excited about it. It takes a bunch of kids that would otherwise not cross paths and puts them together. By the end, these kids are friends, buddies. To me, JPA is community oriented policing at its finest. It is always evolving based on what we’ve seen and what we’d like to see. The kids have been awesome. Watching them start to pay attention to the world around them when they didn’t notice things before; it’s like watching a light bulb go off.
How many kids did you teach this summer?
MD: We reached about 50 kids this summer. We don’t tolerate tardiness, messy dress, or other unacceptable behaviors so a few of them leave in the first few days but most kids like our structure. The students that aren’t serious are the ones that leave.
And what about the students that are in the class to accrue necessary credits?
MD: Most kids start to really get into it and by the time they finish the class they are asking for applications to become police explorers.
Have any of your explorers become officers?
MD: Actually, one of our first JPA grads from about 5 or 6 years ago was recently hired as a deputy. Another is in the academy in Sacramento and another is a junior at Annapolis.
Can you see these changes happening as the class progresses?
MD: The friendships we develop with these kids are so neat. A child asks a parent to play outside and the parent says no. The kid doesn’t understand, and is angered, until you explain it to them. It’s the same with high school students. We’re explaining what and why. It’s unbelievable, the allies we create. They talk to us at school and they aren’t worried about what other kids think.
What activities do the kids like most in the program?
MD: The physical aspects are the ones you really hear about. We do nightstick training and bring in a black belt officer as well. Today we covered report writing and search and seizure. We try to use a lot of different methods to reach the kids. You learn by doing, hearing and seeing. Each day is packed with stuff. As the program gets bigger and better, we have to really watch our timeline to make sure we get it all covered.
How are the students tested on the material that they learn?
MD: They have 2 or 3 written exams. They maintain neat workbooks just like a cadet would and we check those. And the final incorporates everything in an interactive crime scene which is either a drive-by shooting, a homicide or a burglary. We provide witnesses and physical evidence. They do measurements and plan photos of the scene. They dust for prints. They may be required to make an arrest complete with handcuffs. Then they have to write reports and tell the class what they did and why. There is a lot of participation and everyone is busy and communicating. This isn’t the type of course that you can pass just sitting down.
Officer Adams described a few but have you witnessed any amazing attitude and life changes in particularly troubled kids?
MD: So many kids are changed and affected. We had a kid in the last session with long hair and a lip ring, a neat kid just looking to find his way. He was always on the ball; he really impressed us. We told him that he would make a great police explorer but he’d have to clean up his act. Shortly after, he came to class with short hair and no lip piercing. He wanted to know where to sign up.
Wow. I suppose that those changes are the joys of teaching.
MD: In regards to teaching, I’ve always believed that kids are where you start. If you can change their minds, it all comes together. It’s one of the most exciting things to see. I have letters from kids that are so powerful they bring tears to my eyes. And to think that these things come from some impact you’ve made. I went back to college to get my credential to be better at this and now I’m a better credit to this program.
So you plan to stick with it?
MD: I’d love to but my boss calls the shots so I could get moved. I worked the streets for 16 years before this and sure you get the satisfaction of maintaining safety and so forth but that’s not every day. With these kids, I see that satisfaction hourly. It happens right in front of me. We plant the seeds in them and watch them grow. They come out of class proud.