School Crime Watch

You've heard of Neighborhood Crime Watch programs.. residents working together to fight crime. Now there's an organization called National -Youth- Crime Watch.. It's made up of students fighting crime.

In "Assignment: Education", Bill Ratliff takes a look at how the crime watch is working at one Bay Area high school.

Ileana Valverde and Dan McCarey are members of the Crime Watch Team at Robinson High School. They wear a vest... have a badge and carry walkie-talkies during the day. They just received a tip two students are skipping class. So they're on their way to check it out.

--[Student says:] "Where are you guys suppose to be?"--

The tip turned out. These two students won't be skipping today. Officer Orlando Gudes runs the crime watch program at Robinson High School. A group of 34 students make up the crime watch team. This is the first year of the program and gudes says it's made a difference already.

--[ Officer Orlando Gudes says:] "We got the gates locked up this year for the first time. It's dropped down tremendously the students skipping. Of course, we still have a few that will get away from us but of course it has dropped."--

Ileana's the school's crime watch chief and says one of the biggest problems the school had was students smoking.

--[ Ileana Valverde says:] "At the beginning there was just the smokers were everywhere they would congregate in the parking lots or the bathrooms but they don't really do it anymore... because they're expecting to see someone."--

And students will see someone. Members of crime watch get out of each class five minutes early to patrol the hallways... check the parking lot... and check the restrooms.

--[Valverde says:] "So basically keep the crime down for me and just be the extra eyes and ears for the school."

Kristine Willis has been here four years and says she's seen an improvemnt..
--[Senior Kristine Willis says:] "I think that it keeps a lot of order in the school. It's a lot more organized with crime watch."--

Bill Ratliff, Newschannel 8

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