When Juvenile Services (JS) staff members interact with law-enforcement officers, the topic of discussion usually involves some type of immediate crisis. Just part of the job.

However, a recent training event brought the two professions together in a setting where they could sit down and talk without the day-to-day pressures.

The 2023 Kansas Juvenile Officers Association Conference attracted officials from throughout the state, including several from local and area agencies.

“The agenda was chock-full of timely topics and information about trends,” said Marissa Woodmansee, JS director. “But a highlight for me was being reminded of the importance of not letting our practices become stagnant. We can’t let our guard down because we don’t think bad things can happen to us.”

Agenda topics included: juvenile alcohol and drug use; the Aztec, N.M., school shooting; juvenile statutes; school resource officer/administration search & seizure; strengthening school security; warning signs and threat assessments of school shootings and other incidents; and living a purposeful life.

“The importance of being diligent about school safety and drug interdiction was a regular theme throughout the conference,” Woodmansee commented. “For example, we know that fentanyl is here and young people are using it. It was good to talk to representatives from other communities about opiates, marijuana and other drugs.”

While marijuana is not legal in Kansas, Woodmansee believes it is just a matter of time. 

“This is why it was interesting to hear from law enforcement in counties that border Colorado, where it is legal,” she noted. “We heard about what is happening in these counties and how they handle it.”

The Kansas Department of Corrections and Kansas Department of Education also sent representatives to the conference at Wichita.

“With these agencies, there was an emphasis on school resource officers (SROs) and how to be proactive in the community,” Woodmansee explained.

Paul Millard, SRO at the Great Bend Police Department, said the conference was especially productive because it helped cement the day-to-day cooperation between local law enforcement and JS.

“If we detain a juvenile for a criminal act, for instance, many times the next stop is juvenile intake,” Millard said. “We all work with the same kids and it is crucial that we maintain a good relationship with one another.

“This relationship also benefits the juveniles because we unite to build a personal connection with them.”

A conference highlight for Millard was the agenda item that reminded law-enforcement officers that they need to take care of themselves if they want to take care of the community.

“Officers need to lead purposeful lives when they are off-duty,” Millard said. “If officers are struggling at work or home, they can rely on peer support and other resources.

“I have been at the police department for 25 years and have seen good officers who ended up doing something else for a career,” Millard recalled. “We could have retained some really good officers over the years.”

Millard also noted that he and other SROs learned from one another before, during and after the training sessions.

“We bounced ideas off each other and compared notes about school safety,” he said. “It was good to share information and discuss different methods – those that work and those that might not work.”

Other 20th Judicial District Juvenile Services staff members who attended the training are Mike Daniel and Ryan Lichter, supervisors, and Blakelee Cooper, community case manager.

Law-enforcement officers in the district who attended are Emil Halfhill, Ellsworth chief of police, and Mary Kendrick of the Chase Police Department. They serve on the JS Advisory Board, which invited JS staff members to attend the training.

20th Judicial District Juvenile Services empowers youth in Barton, Rice, Ellsworth, Stafford and Russell counties to achieve positive outcomes by offering Juvenile Intake & Assessment, Immediate Intervention, Intensive Supervised Probation, Case Management, Journey to Change, Life Skills, All Stars and Youth Crew. Parents and guardians also are offered The Parent Project. Visit 1800 12th in Great Bend or call 620-793-1930.