Police Pals

Program Overview
Parkland School District is always exploring various means to integrate police officers into the school setting in a way that is both non-threatening and allows officers to form long-lasting bonds with our students. In order to enhance professional and community relationships, Parkland School District encourages the Parkland Police Pals Program, a partnership aimed at increasing police presence in our schools while enhancing the positive relationships between police officers and the
district’s students, faculty, staff and parents.

Area Police Officers are always welcome to Parkland schools for a free breakfast and/or lunch with students!
Since September 2013, there has been a standing invitation with the South Whitehall, Upper Macungie and Pennsylvania State Police departments. Police officers are always welcome to come have breakfast and/or lunch in the school cafeteria / gymnasium with the students at no cost to the police officers or police departments.

Patrol the School Parking Lots
If officers are too busy to eat breakfast and/or lunch in the cafeteria / gymnasium, they are encouraged to patrol the school parking lot and stop in for a quick bagged breakfast and/or lunch to go.

Workspace Available
The officers are also provided a small workspace in each school that they can utilize to complete reports and perform certain clerical tasks that would otherwise require the officer to return to police headquarters. It is important to note that the officers are not to use the workspace to conduct interviews and will not bring witnesses, victims or suspects into any school. The workspace is only for simple clerical work.

Daily Police Presence at Schools
One of the goals of this program is for police presence to be a daily scene in all of our schools. It’s a great opportunity for police officers to be more visible in the schools, and for students to get to know the officers as people. We want the students, teachers and parents to recognize the officers. Officer visits also benefit students, who can see a positive law enforcement role model up close.

Walk the Halls – Walk the Grounds
Please let the front office and security monitors know you are in the building by checking in. It’s important the front office knows you are in or around the building. It will also reassure parents that may call. We want everyone to know officers are at the school for friendly visits on a daily basis.