San Diego, CA (special) -- Popular television shows and movies, particularly those dealing with law enforcement, give the impression that the way to get justice is to shoot people, Sheriff Bill Kolender says. But, as the man who commands the armed deputies throughout San Diego County, the sheriff emphatically adds: "There has got to be a better way to solve problems."

Particularly in the wake of the shootings at Santana High School in Santee and Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, Kolender believes there must be a collaborative effort among educators, parents, law enforcement and the students to prevent similar occurrences of violence in the schools.

"We need early intervention," he said during an interview last week at his
offices in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego. "We have to help the schools
feel free to identify children that they perceive to have problems, and not
have the parents sue them and be upset.

"I think any kindergarten teacher can tell you after a couple of weeks
which one of these kids is headed down the path that is going to cause
problems," the sheriff added. "But I think they are very fearful of
bringing this up because of potential lawsuits by parents. I think this is a
problem."

Increasing the visibility of law enforcement on school campuses is an
additional approach, Kolender said. "In some cases, we work in
partnership with schools where police officers or sheriff's deputies work
as school resource officers," he said. Such an officer is "not policing the
campus as such, but he is there to solve problems that may exist with the
students, counselors or teachers, and to deal with whatever problem
where there may be a need for input."

The sheriff said law enforcement also is "looking at some 'directed
patrol,' which means they stop by so many times a day, and walk around--
that kind of thing. But to work, it has to be a sure thing, and that costs
money. How do you pay for it? There are discussions about that now
among the city, county, and the education system."

Occasional guest lectures by law enforcement officials also may have an
impact at the schools. These officers can "talk about issues, about how
they can make the school safer. Kids need to understand their
responsibility. When you go to an airport and you holler 'bomb,' nobody
laughs. When you go to a school, and you say 'gun,' nobody will think it is a
joke. The students have to understand that."

Those who are used to thinking of law enforcement as a paramilitary
organization might be surprised to learn that Kolender considers
collaboration more important than hierarchy to the success of the 
sheriff's department.

After taking office seven years ago, he enlisted sheriff's personnel to help
develop mission and vision statements for his department. 

"In partnership with our communities, we provide the highest quality
public safety services," the resultant mission statement declared. 

If you didn't already know that the following six-part 'vision statement'
was developed by the sheriff's department, you might think it was the
work of a corporation or social service agency. 

"1) CUSTOMER SERVICE -- We treat those we serve with respect and
dignity. We are responsive and sensitive to their needs. We meet their
expectations by providing consistent service of the highest quality.

"2) MANAGEMENT SUPPORT & LEADERSHIP -- We are leaders at every level
within our organization. We sustain an atmosphere of ownership and
pride. We recognize efforts, celebrate accomplishments and practice open
and honest communication.

"3) PERSONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT -- People are our
greatest asset. Our shared success is based on an investment in
continuous, relevant learning, accessible to all. Using innovative methods,
mentoring and the sharing of knowledge, we enhance personal and career
development.

"4) PARTNERSHIPS--We achieve excellence through the strong
partnerships we form among ourselves and those we serve. We base these
partnerships on openness, honesty and mutual respect.

"5) BUSINESS PROCESSES - Our business processes contribute to our
excellence. They are fiscally responsible and easily understood. We
involve our customers in a continuous review to ensure that every process
is effective, efficient and adds value."

"6) MEASUREMENT & DOCUMENTATION -- We continuously measure and
evaluate our activities and outcomes to ensure the highest quality of
service. We analyze, document and use what we learn to improve our
processes, maximize our resources and enhance customer service." 

Kolender now has top officers and civilians taking a course in ethics. 
"The idea," he said, "is to establish a management that has an ethical
foundation. It is very interesting how you determine what is the
foundation of what you do. Is it integrity? Honesty? Fairness? Loyalty? 
Trust? What is it? In our mind, the foundation is trust, and from this
trust comes fairness, integrity, loyalty-- all those things that we value. 

"So now we are taking this thing to the next step, giving the people the
responsibility to do their jobs and letting them do it. That is not an easy
thing to do in any business."