Students take notice of new man on campus

There’s a new man on campus and students are taking notice.

“Why are you here?” some will ask. Others will wonder if a student is in trouble.

“I’m here for the students, as well as the staff and the parents,” said San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Allen, Ramona Unified School District’s first school resource officer.

“The kids have been great,” he said, adding that staff has been very helpful.

Although he is based at Ramona High School, he visits and is there for all the schools in the district. The county is paying for the school resource officer now, but after this school year the county and the school district will negotiate cost sharing.

Allen, who started the job Jan. 8, said he assists with school emergency plans and lock-down procedures, attends staff meetings, and is there “to make the schools a safer place for a learning environment.”

If there is a threat to a school, Allen said there is direct communication between him and the schools, and he has all the principals’ numbers.

“I listen to my radio all the time. The last thing we want is something to happen on one of the campuses,” he said.

During lunch hours at Ramona High School, he walks around the entire campus, even to the back gate to make sure it’s locked and no students are smoking there. He also wants to make sure no students are being bullied in out-of-sight spots.

“I need to know where all these hiding places are,” he said.

He also routinely changes his rounds to hit different spots at different times.

Students, he said, will say hi “or just ignore me.” Some will stop to ask a question.

Besides providing security, Allen said he is available for students to talk to, whether it is about law enforcement or issues they are dealing with, including drug problems. Explaining how he is willing to help, Allen said he would first ask what type of drug they are using, what makes them believe they have a problem, where they want to start in receiving help, and possibly invite a counselor or someone the student would feel comfortable talking to — but only if the student is comfortable.

“It becomes a trust factor. I don’t want to betray that trust in any fashion,” Allen said.

If parents are concerned about their child, be it drugs, alcohol, gangs or something else, Allen said they can stop by the school or leave a message for him. He can also deal with attendance issues. If a student is defiant and refusing to go to school, Allen said he will go to the home to help.

The resource officer plans to further his training.

“The more well-rounded I am, the better I’ll be able to serve the public,” he said.

Allen entered the San Diego Sheriff’s Regional Law Academy at Miramar College in 2008, after serving in the military for 10 years. At age 18, he joined the U.S. Navy, working with aviation and launching aircraft from aircraft carriers. Tours of duty were spent on the USS Kitty Hawk and USS John C. Stennis. While he was stationed at North Island, he was able to get a four-year college degree, majoring in criminal justice. When shore duty ended, Allen said he had to make a choice.

“I wanted to do something in a positive way,” he said.

The military was positive, noted Allen, but he wanted to be home with his wife and children, so he chose law enforcement.

Allen was a speaker during Montecito High School’s Reality Week, Jan. 25 through 29.