August 2008

Five juveniles transported to hospital after report of suspicious activity
On Saturday, July 12, at about 9 p.m., Deputy Dulmage responded to the Mark Hopkins Elementary School, after receiving a complaint of suspicious activity near the playground. Upon arrival, five juveniles were contacted; all of them appeared to be under the influence of some type of drug. Additional investigation revealed that the juveniles had ingested ecstasy. All of the juveniles were transported to Littleton Adventist Hospital for evaluation.
Substance abuse by juveniles is a major concern of the Sheriff’s Office. School Resource Officers receive specialized training and provide educational opportunities to students and community groups throughout the year. If you would like to schedule a presentation for your school or youth group, contact the Community Resource Section at 720-874-3746. 

 

Audible alarm leads Deputy to burglary suspect
On Sunday, July 6, at about 12:45 a.m., Deputy Luedtke heard an audible alarm coming from the area of 1800 S. Parker Road. As he pulled into the shopping center parking lot, he observed a subject dressed in a black hoodie and black clothing jump out of a smashed window from the Aspen Commons Animal Hospital. The subject then ran through the breezeway and disappeared behind the shopping center. Additional deputies, as well as officers from Denver and Aurora Police Departments responded to assist in setting up a perimeter. 
At 1 a.m., the suspect was found hiding in the bushes next to a trash dumpster by Deputy Carroll’s K-9 and safely taken into custody. The suspect, a former employee, sustained a laceration to her right leg from the broken window and was transported to the Medical Center of Aurora for treatment. She was later transported to the Sullivan Detention Facility charged with Second Degree Burglary.

Bullying – A community concern
As the new school year approaches, teachers, counselors, school administrators, as well as School Resource Officers will be focused on many issues. Perhaps one of the most critical to school safety however, is the act of bullying. The University of Michigan recently released a report addressing the “Top Ten” health concerns for children, indicating bullying was the fourth most significant concern following childhood obesity and substance abuse. (University of Michigan Health System, 2008)
The Sheriff’s Office also has dealt with the issue of bullying, which can lead to school violence, suicide, and truancy. Not only are the victims of bullying in danger of suicide, the perpetrators also have an increased risk for suicidal behaviors (Yale University, 2008). 
The issue of bullying is more prevalent in the Middle Schools where statistically the truancy rates also peak. In the past, bullying was treated as “just part of growing up.”  The parents of victims are now taking their fight to the courts and winning. In Kansas City, Kansas, a jury awarded Dylan Theno $250,000.00 from the Tonganoxie School district for years of bullying from a false rumor that he was gay. In another incident Mathew Mumbauer’s parents blame bullies after he was injured falling down the stairs and is now paralyzed and on a ventilator. Mathew was 11-years-old at the time of the incident (Turley, 2008).
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) provides the National Mental Health Information Center web site at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/, which can be utilized by the general public for information on bullying and other important topics. This web site offers tips and resource information for parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators, administrators, counselors, and others (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Some of the suggestions offered by this web site to deal with bullying include:

  1. Contact the school immediately – the parents have the right that the school will take the situation seriously and investigate the facts.
  2. Actions to take if the school is not responding to your requests such as documenting the bullying incidents. 
  3. Be persistent – some kids are apprehensive about reporting bullying and fear further retaliation from the bully if they report it. Most children report a sense of relief once the issue is out in the open. 
  4. Let the school arrange meetings with the parents of the bully, many of them are unaware of what their child has been doing at school.
  5. Make sure the bullied child gets effective protection by closely monitoring the situation. 
  6. Don’t view bullying as a part of growing up.
  7. Help your child build up their self confidence and assist them in learning relationship skills.
  8. Encourage your child to join other groups of children within his or her age group.
  9. Support your child’s contacts and activities outside of the family by keeping in touch with what is going on, avoiding over protecting.
  10. Encourage your child to bring his friends home.

Children who are bullies are at an increased risk for anti-social and criminal behavior.  They are also more inclined to use alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs later in life. Tips offered if your child is the bully includes:

  1. Work closely with the school to resolve the situation.
  2. Down playing or making excuses for your child’s behavior won’t help him or her.
  3. Make it clear that bullying is serious and won’t be tolerated.
  4. Help your child to use his or her need to dominate in a more positive way such as participating in sports.
  5. Spend 15 minutes or more of quality time with your child every day learning who they are spending their time with and what they are doing (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2008).

For additional information, or if you would like to speak with a School Resource Officer, contact the Community Resource Section at 720-874-3746.

2008 Archives