Bentley, shown attaching his name to Jolene, a North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) Police Department (NMBPD) K9, at his swearing in as a Junior K9 Officer, makes good grades, is respectful, and stands up to bullies.

What’s more, he’s typical of more than 100 children who’ve taken the oath to continue being a good citizen since the NMBPD started the Junior K9 Officer program in the 2021–22 school year—and he’s also a role model for the many more who are eager to gain this honor.

Developed by NMBPD Field Training and K9 Officer Pat Wilkinson to promote good behavior and a safe school environment, the Junior K9 Officer program, is very popular with teachers as well as students in North Myrtle Beach’s five participating elementary schools.

Respecting Others and Standing up to Bullies is Rewarded

Every month, an administrator from each school recommends one child for demonstrating the exemplary behavior of a K9 Junior Officer: Taking their schoolwork seriously, being respectful of their peers and teachers; attending school regularly and punctually; being kind and not giving in to bullies.

The boy or girl who best models this behavior is sworn in as a Junior K9 Officer in a ceremony held in their school gym or auditorium with the entire school and their families in attendance.

One of NMBPD’s three K9 handlers, who attends with his or her dog, tells the audience why the child was nominated. Then Chief Crowell or an Administrative Unit officer reads the oath of office for the child to repeat, promising to continue being a model student.

The new Junior K9 Officer gets a “uniform” (a tee shirt with the NMBPD logo), and the department posts a photo of the ceremony on Instagram and their Facebook page. But, according to Wilkinson, “The coolest part for every child is attaching a tag with their name on it to the K9's harness, and having their name stay on the dog for a month.”

Another exciting event is in December, when all the winning kids get to decorate the Junior K9 float and ride on it with the dogs in the North Myrtle Beach Christmas parade.

A Dramatic Improvement in Student Behavior and Learning

Said Wilkinson, “Children, their families, teachers, and school administrators love this program because it motivates kids to model the character traits that support learning, character building, and a safe, pleasant school environment. All our school principals say they’ve seen a dramatic increase in good behavior and that kids are trying harder in the classroom because they want to be the next Junior K9 Officer.”

Asked what inspired him to develop it, Wilkinson said, “I heard a story of a kid bringing a gun to school, which started me thinking about what’s going on in our schools now, and how can we change some of the behavioral problems.

“It occurred to me that an incentive program would work, and as a K9 officer, I know how much kids love our dogs. We have three of them: Jolene and Mac are Belgian Malinois, and Johnny Cash is a German Shepherd. Two are trained to detect narcotics, and one sniffs out explosives. But though they are not therapy dogs, all our K9s are very sociable. We’ve made sure they can be around kids.

“I also know as a parent how much kids like attention—and that some act out in negative ways to get it. So I thought that by giving our schoolchildren attention for the right things, we could encourage a positive school atmosphere.

“The other K9 handlers and I talk about the program at all participating schools, sending the message that being kind and respectful makes you stand out in a good way. And every swearing in ceremony starts with us asking the audience what it takes to be a Junior K9 Officer. After doing this for two and a half years, the kids know what the traits are, so the message is getting out there.

“This program, which is entirely funded by community donations, not only encourages good traits, but leads to positive interactions between law enforcement and children. And in addition to making a major positive impact within our schools, it’s a wonderful community engagement tool.

“A lot of people hear about the program when we introduce our Junior K9 Officers at our ‘Leashes and Beaches’ K9 Skills Competition, which is held in January at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex. Teams from police departments all over the country compete on an obstacle course, demonstrating their K9 dogs’ speed, apprehension, and obedience skills, among other things.

“A huge number of people turn out for this event, which is sponsored by the North Myrtle Beach Police Foundation to raise funds for the support of officers and their families during rough times.”

And the public outreach doesn’t stop there. In the spring, during baseball season, NMBPD K9 handlers bring all the Junior K9 Officers of that school year onto the field with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and hold another recognition ceremony in front of the crowd.

Community Policing Helps Grow the Department

According to Wilkinson, there’s widespread support for the program in the department. “Even the guys on patrol will come out to these events just be a part of it. And we know that an investment in this kind of program is an investment in the future. Our department is firmly committed to this kind of community involvement.

“We have a lot of good community policing programs, including another one focused on youth. It’s a life skills team for teens 13 to 18, teaching them budgeting, how to change a tire, and other things they will need to know as adults.

“We’re growing,” he added. “We have 100 sworn officers now. And I think one of the reasons for our growth is that we have programs like this, and as a result, a lot of community support. Chief Crowell promotes proactive policing. She wants us to be out interacting with people and checking on business owners. Officers like to work here because they get to do a lot of that.”

Reflecting on the positive effects of NMBPD’s community policing programs, Wilkinson recalled a moving discovery he made shortly after participating in a Junior K9 Officer induction ceremony.

“In 2021, while I was working streets, I responded to a case where a mother with small kids tragically and abruptly lost her life. Two years later, after I finished a swearing-in ceremony, a teacher told me that the little girl who took the oath as a Jr. K9 Officer with me and my dog was that mother’s child. This just shows the resilience of children and the value of programs that support it.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

Images Courtesy of NMBPD.

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