School Liaison Program

The Police School Liaison Program is a jointly funded endeavor of the Greenfield Police Department and the Whitnall and Greenfield School Districts. This program has made it possible to assign a police officer to work in the Greenfield High School full time during the school year. The goal of this program is to build positive relationships between the police and students, to provide early intervention and diversion for at-risk students, and to mitigate incidents at the high school through prompt intervention.

Officers

The current Police School Liaison Officer at Greenfield High School is Mark Thoreson. Officer Susanne Aasterud serves as the Liaison Officer at Whitnall High School.

Prevention & Education

Beyond the family, the school is the 1st institution that has an opportunity to perceive and analyze problems, or potential problems, among youth. Therefore, if symptoms of antisocial behavior (delinquency) are observed at the school level, it is appropriate to implement a program aimed primarily at the prevention of this behavior through education, communication and understanding.

Additional Roles

In addition to being a law enforcement officer who has an obligation to serve, protect, and uphold the law, the police school liaison officer is visualized as a counselor, resource person, and educational aide. He not only provides for the safety and well being of all students and staff, but also plays a major role in assisting students who have unique personal needs of a confidential nature.

The officer’s role is not to replace or compete with the guidance counselors, social workers, or psychologists in the school, but to work closely with them.

This program allows students to become acquainted with Law Enforcement and its practitioners in an informal non-authoritarian setting. It also provides a natural deterrent to crime in the school setting.