NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa Police are putting the finishing touches on the department’s final school-specific high school resource officer vehicle, giving Nampa High School its own customized cruiser.
The specialized designs are more than a new look. Nampa Police Lieutenant Don Peck says giving each school its own recognizable SRO vehicle can help students identify with their officer and build pride in their school.
“Being able to put some stickers on the cars that allows the students to see, hey, that's the car from my school, that's my SRO,” Peck said. “It helps to build ownership, build pride.”
College of Western Idaho student Madison Miller remembers seeing that connection while attending Ridgevue High School.
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“I’d come into school and I’d see his cop car parked out front,” Miller said. “And it was just so cool.”
For Miller, her relationship with her school resource officer eventually went beyond recognizing the car outside her school.
That connection led her to the Nampa Youth Academy, where she was introduced to different roles within law enforcement.
“I think the Nampa Youth Academy was like a low-stakes introduction into what the law enforcement program or law enforcement can have,” Miller said.
During the academy, Miller became particularly interested in the investigative side of policing and analyzing information connected to a case.
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She is now studying law enforcement and criminal justice at CWI and recently completed an internship with Idaho State Police.
Peck says creating those kinds of connections is part of the purpose behind the customized SRO vehicles.
“It’s another, another way that we get to connect with our community and with our young adults,” Peck said.
Nampa High’s vehicle joins customized SRO cruisers representing Skyview, Columbia and Ridgevue high schools.
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