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Homestead and Fremont high schools praise cops' coordination
By Sam Scott
If they were any happier with the new relationships between their high schools and Sunnyvale Public Safety, Principals Pete Tuana and Eric Paulson would be giddy.
"It far exceeds anything we've had in the past," Tuana says of Fremont's collaboration with the Sunnyvale Public Safety department.
"Thank you for hiring Ernie," Homestead Principal Eric Paulson said last Tuesday to the City Council, referring to the hiring of Public Safety Chief Ernie Bakin in October. The praise came at a meeting between the council and the Fremont Union High School District School Board.
According to city spokesperson Dan Rich, the two sides try to have annual meetings. This year's also covered major construction at the two schools, a proposed partnership to build a joint-use pool at Fremont High, and a new ropes course in Sunnyvale.
Campus safety issues, however, got the most attention.
Paulson says an improved relationship between Homestead High, the Sheriff's office, and Public Safety has helped fill a gap caused by the school's location. According to Paulson, the school pulls 80 percent of its student body from Sunnyvale, but is located in Cupertino. In the past, when the County Sheriff's department responded to a problem at Fremont concerning a Sunnyvale student, the Sheriff's office did not communicate with Sunnyvale Public Safety.
For the kids, it was like they had one set of enforcers during the day and another at night.
"It was kind of like mom and dad not talking," Sunnyvale Captain Chuck Eaneff says. "It was easy to think one didn't know what the other said. By communicating with the Sheriff, we're finding out that we're providing better service to Homestead."
Though Paulson says Homestead never had problems with violence, he says increased police involvement has improved antagonistic attitudes that would surface at times.
Paulson also says a joint-patrol of Homestead Road, which switches between Sheriff and Public Safety jurisdictions has helped improve speeding problems.
At both Homestead and Fremont, schools officials now hold weekly meetings with Public Safety detectives, gang specialists, and neighborhood officers. Eaneff says the department is aware of the situation at the schools and the students know it. He supplies no statistics, but says, based on anecdotal evidence, things are as good as they've ever been.
"It was quietest opening of a school year that anyone can remember. There were virtually no acts of violence or crime."
Tuana backs up the rosy attitude.
"It's the most positive relationship with Public Safety we've had," Tuana says. "We've gotten to a new level this year."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
