Program will notify schools when law enforcement encounters students

FAYETTEVILLE — U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge on Wednesday announced an effort to connect police with schools when children are present during a traumatic, violent or criminal event.

When police encounter a child, officers will send a simple “Handle with Care” form by fax or email with the child’s name, age and date of referral to the school district, Eldridge said. School personnel then can inform the child’s principal, teacher, counselors and school officials.

Teachers could respond by postponing a test or sending the child to a school counselor, Eldridge said.

“What it will do is give that child a better chance of success in their education and in their life,” he said.

Eldridge announced the program at a news conference at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with the sheriffs of Crawford, Washington and Sebastian counties and representatives of schools and police departments in those counties.

The A-Chance program begins Aug. 17 with school districts and police departments in those three counties plus Clark, Ouachita and Union counties in south Arkansas.

A-Chance stands for Arkansas Cultivating Healthy Attitudes and Nurturing Children to Excel. The program is part of a broader Defending Childhood initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to help children exposed to violence and trauma.

Eldridge asked reporters to imagine a fictitious but common scenario of domestic violence where the new program would apply: An 8-year-old at home one night working on homework and studying for a test when his father walks in the home, drunk or high on methamphetamine. The father is violent, starts throwing plates, hits the mother and the 8-year-old runs to hide.

Police are called and are at the house until 2 a.m., and the 8-year-old has school the next day, Eldridge said. The child isn’t prepared for the test and wasn’t able to finish homework due that day.

“You can’t keep your eyes open,” he said. “You pick a fight with somebody because you’re so upset you don’t know what to do with yourself. That happens all the time in Arkansas on a near-daily basis.”

A study by the Department of Justice found more than 60 percent of American children are exposed to violence annually, Eldridge said.

Studies also have found children repeat violent behaviors they witness, Eldridge said.

Knowing students encountered police the previous night can help teachers understand a student’s behavior and provide some flexibility, said Kim Garrett, an associate superintendent for Fayetteville School District.

She remembered a similar situation when a student was sent to the office for causing trouble in class, and when asked, the student said his mother was getting out of jail that day.

“He’s not going to tell the teacher in front of everyone what’s going on,” Garrett said.

Police officers see how children are affected by crime and violence, said Fort Smith Police Sgt. Dawn Sprayberry. Officers sometimes carry stuffed animals to provide temporary comfort.

“We don’t have the opportunity to be able to sit down and talk with the child affected,” Sprayberry said.

Having a system for notifying schools will provide children with someone who sees them every day to help them and provide more long-term support, she said.

A student whose family is affected by crime or violence sometimes will arrive at school sleepy and frustrated, said Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor. He hopes the communication will lead to more support for those students so they succeed in school and don’t drop out.

“If something’s going on with a kid, if you’re communicating, your teacher knows what’s going on,” Tabor said. “They can help you.”