WINSLOW — Before he became a Winslow police officer, Ron McGowen worked with teenagers and children at the Alfond Youth Center in Waterville.
McGowen now is combining those roles. The 24-year-old Thomas College graduate has been assigned as the new school resource officer for Winslow’s three schools.
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It’s a post he sees as more than just providing police security to schools. McGowen said the job involves teaching occasional classes to students and teachers and being there as someone students can turn to for help.
“You are a teacher; you are a role model, a person for the students to go to,” McGowen said. “You are there for safety of the staff and students of the school. You address school safety issues and also assist the school, when needed, with discipline.”
And McGowen says the role of a school-resource officer and types of issues the officer handles have changed in recent years — largely because of new technology.
“We face a lot of issues with Facebook bullying, harassment — that seems to be something that’s gotten bigger and is a new aspect of the job,” McGowen said. “A lot of text messaging, phone harassment.”
McGowen’s new assignment is among a handful of changes at the Winslow Police Department, which has 23 officers, nine full-time and the rest part-time reserves.
Joshua Veilleux, who’s been with the force since June 2008 and has been the most recent school resource officer, has been promoted to sergeant.
In addition, Brandon Lund, 41, who’s been a part-time reserve officer since April 2008, has been hired as a full-time patrol officer.
Lund said he had always wanted to become a police officer and has enjoyed the work the last three years.
“I love it. I like the challenges and diversity of it,” Lund said. “I love dealing with the people and usually I learn something at least every shift. The thing I enjoy the most are investigations — anything that leads to an investigation where a crime has been committed.”
Now that he’s a full-time officer, Lund will attend the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro in January and plans to graduate from the academy in May.
McGowen graduated from Thomas College with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and started with the Winslow force in May 2009.
As school resource officer, McGowen is dividing his time among the elementary school, junior high and high school, attending classes, sports games and leading education programs. During his time as a Winslow officer, McGowen had already gotten a feel for the for the job by assisting Veilleux at school events and shadowing him the last several months.
“I felt very accepted at the schools. I felt like everybody there wants us there and I feel it’s a very good way to be a part of the community,” McGowen said.
McGowen has already made strides in establishing himself with the school community, said Doug Carville, Winslow High School principal.
“This appears to be a really good fit for him,” Carville said. “We’re glad to have him.”
McGowen sees slight differences in his roles in the three schools. At the high school, he’s there as a role model and to help mediate problems among students; at the junior high, his focus is on teaching students about safety issues such as drug use and the Internet; and at the elementary school, he’s there mainly as a friendly person so that kids grow up knowing they can approach him.
Carville said he sees the role of the resource officer as establishing a positive presence in and around the buildings.
“It’s not a negative, not a, ‘If you do this, then this is what’s going to happen to you’ presence. It’s a presence of people feeling safe; another adult here willing to act in somebody’s best interest,” Carville said.
And students seem to agree. A survey conducted last spring showed that many students counted the school resource officer as a reason they feel safe at school, Carville said.
He also leads several classes and programs during the school year dealing with topics such as becoming a new driver and privacy rights. A few weeks ago, for instance, McGowen talked to second-graders about safe trick-or-treating on Halloween.
McGowen said he also works with teachers and staff on topics such as building lock-down protocol involving threats.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the students and teachers of the Winslow school district,” he said.
Scott Monroe — 861-9239
smonroe@centralmaine.com
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