PORT TOWNSEND — As the Port Townsend School District’s new school resource officer, Sgt. Troy Surber seeks to educate rather than intimidate.
“My goal is to change behavior,” he said.
“I am not going to use force or arrest anyone unless it’s the only option.”
Surber, 52, served as school resource officer from 2000 to 2006, when he was promoted to sergeant.
The post was vacant for about a year before it was assumed by Officer Garin Williams.
Chief Conner Daily recently promoted Williams to sergeant, and Surber returned to the school resource officer post after two ranking officers left.
Detective Jason Greenspane also was promoted to sergeant after Ed Green, a former Port Townsend sergeant, left to become chief of the Oak Harbor Police Department and Officer Bill Corrigan, 60, retired after 10 years on the force.
Officer Matt Krysinski also moved to the Oak Harbor Police Department to work under Green.
The chief plans to hire three new officers.
Surber expects to work as school resource officer during the 2014-15 school year and that a new hire will take over the position.
One example of Surber’s education has to do with smoking.
If Surber catches a student in the act, he talks about the dangers instead of writing out a $100 ticket, the standard penalty for tobacco use by those younger than 18.
“I’ve never written any tickets,” Surber said, “although most times, I contact their parents.”
He spends each morning inspecting school parking lots and flagging expired tabs, then keeps office hours in the high school.
He said the district does not share some of the problems of larger schools.
“We get a few thefts where kids get their iPods stolen or their cars broken into, and there is a little bit of bullying,” he said.
“But we are lucky that we don’t have any active resident gangs around here.”
The district has never had a school shooting, but that is a possibility for which the department is prepared, conducting regular training and simulation.
The most recent was in the top floor of the abandoned Lincoln building this spring.
“We’ve done all the drills,” Surber said. “We will be ready for this if it happens.”
During his first stint as resource officer, Surber usually wore street clothes.
This time around, he plans to wear his uniform.
“Kids love seeing the uniform,” he said. “I’ve already had a two kids come up to me who want to be police officers.”
Surber is wearing one of the new green mesh uniforms that the department is phasing into use.
“I want them to know who I am so they can come up and talk to me,” he said.
“If they can’t tell me apart from everybody else, they won’t know how to get ahold of me.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
