Yelm’s Police Chief Rob Carlson knows the importance of positive interactions and healthy relationships between law enforcement and students within Yelm Community Schools (YCS).
Currently, Yelm Police Department officers Mike Siegemund and Dustin Stephan serve as school resource officers (SRO). Despite YCS’s triple levy failure, Carlson vocalized his support for the district and department’s SRO program. He and mayor Joe DePinto each spoke in regards to YPD’s relationship with the school district during a community conversations event on Wednesday, March 12, at the Yelm Community Center.
“We’re very committed, for the most part, to getting three SROs. The school pays us a certain amount of money per officer, and we’re in discussion with them. The potential of making some adjustments with that could happen, but the goal is to maintain status quo, at least with two,” Carlson said. “Three is the prime, and down the road, someday, we’ll go with four. Right now, we’re committed to go and try as best we can to get to three because we all agree that’s the sweet spot.”
The chief added that Yelm Middle School, Ridgeline Middle School and Yelm High School would be handled by the three SROs, with the availability for the officers to roam around the district’s elementary schools. He’d like to see an eventual fourth SRO dedicated to the elementary schools.
“It’s important to get that relationship started early,” Carlson said.
DePinto said discussions between the city and YCS were held nearly three weeks ago, and he, Carlson, assistant chief Tillman Atkins, superintendent Chris Woods, and several school board members attended.
“At that meeting, we were asked about our commitment and their commitment. The commitment is strong,” DePinto said. “The City of Yelm, and I believe council, is also very supportive of this program, always supports SROs. We’re lucky to have that support at all parties. You look at Olympia and it’s not the same — they don’t have school resource officers. I think it’s very important to have these SROs for the mentorship from police, and making sure there is a relationship between students and police officers.”
Carlson is a big advocate for his officers becoming involved within the community by coaching, attending sports games and building genuine connections with students in the district.
“When the football games, or any kind of sport goes on, the police department is present. I want them to be around,” Carlson said. “I think the biggest thing they do is their presence and their relationship with the kids. They also have a job, and their job is educating and handling the crimes that need to be handled.”
In addition to fostering a safe environment for students to attend school, Carlson says his department also educates YCS pupils on bullying, harassment, vaping, cellphone use and more.
“That cellphone has created a lot of problems in the schools, and you can only imagine the types of pictures and things they’re communicating with,” Carlson said. “It’s created a whole world of new problems, which now leads to new technology and how to get into the cellphones.”
