Neighborhood resource officers have gigantic impact on youth in La Crosse

Boys and Girls Club dir. says kids who’d run away from police in past, run excitedly toward them now.

Mike Desmond had some meaningful words for the La Crosse Police Dept. neighborhood resource officers.

The officers have meant a lot for youth in the area, especially those with troubled backgrounds.

“When a police car pulls up, you would expect them to do what they probably have done many, many times before – run,” Desmond said.

And, they still do, according to Desmond. Just in the opposite direction.

“Now, they run to the police car, to see who it is,” he added, as part of the impact of the resource officers.

Desmond is the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse. The organization recognized the resource officers last week at the police awards banquet.

“I wish you could see what I see,” Desmond said. “In terms of their ability to develop meaningful relationships with these kids. High-risk kids who need a meaningful, positive adult in their life.”

Desmond went on, talking about how their impact was hard to quantify.

“How do you measure prevention?” Desmond said. “I can’t even imagine how much trouble our community police officers have prevented from kids making bad decisions.”

Since 2014, neighborhood resource officers have visited the two Boys and Girls Clubs in La Crosse to hang out with the kids, developing relationships that go beyond policing. 

Several programs have been created between the two groups, including the Neighborhood Resource Officer program, DARE and others.