NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Newport News Police want to help your kids win the school year!

Through the Adopt-A-School Program, at least one officer is assigned to each elementary school. The officers – and some non-sworn employees – will regularly visit the schools to help mentor students.

Scheduling around their duties within the police department, mentors will stop by and greet students as they arrive to school, read inside classrooms or join students for lunch, recess or special activities.

These mentors are not School Resource Officers, the department says. SROs are assigned full-time to the city’s middle and high schools and provide a wide range of other support services.

The program is in line with Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew’s goal to increase officers’ interactions with elementary school kids.

“It’s extremely important our officers have positive interactions with the younger members of our community,” Chief Drew said. “We want to build relationships with our citizens while they’re young to earn their trust and to inspire them to reach their fullest potential.”

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