On March 19, a number of police agencies came to campus to educate students on their jobs, the different positions they offer, programs they provide, and safety protocols.
Some of the agencies that attended include California Highway Patrol, San Joaquin Office of Emergency, Child Abuse Prevention Council, Stockton Fire Department, Alcohol Beverage Control, the Family Resource Center and Delta College’s own police department.
The event was held to educate students about the different systems and programs that are provided for the safety and security of students on campus.
Of these systems put in place are the blue light emergency phones on campus, where students can access if they need assistance of any kind. This includes escorting a student to their car if that student feels unsafe, especially at night.
The Family Resource Center offers a plethora of services, including food and housing assistance, employment help, mental health services, substance abuse help, and mental/dental care assistance.
“It’s a great resource that everyone should know about. Our community should know about all the free resources that is available to them,” said Johni Ohm, the senior community resource specialist of the Family Resource Center.
She goes on to say that people should not hesitate to call 211 for assistance of any kind, adding that a popular misconception about dialing 211 is that it is only for people who are homeless. “It is available for everyone.”
211 is a telephone number that provides services to the local community. “2-1-1 is available in multiple languages, allowing those in need to access information and obtain referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions,” the California Public Utilities Commission writes on its webpage.
“I dialed 211, I was living in an abandoned house… same day I was on the phone I got a voucher,” Nikaya Hudson, a 34-year old attendee who was previously homeless, said.
She also mentioned that they provide free appointments with psychiatrists, therapists, and health services.
The City of Stockton has an app called “Ask Stockton,” where one can make requests to the city. That way they are referred to the correct location and the concern can be handled efficiently.
The Stockton police department also has a program called Your Way Registry, where people could register specific information that the police should know about someone in their household, like if someone in their home has light sensory issues or autism.
There are several programs geared towards mental health, suicide prevention, substance and physical abuse, and disability programs. There are also multiple opportunities for jobs in the field, some of which are sworn careers while others are not.
Of these opportunities is the Alcohol Beverage Control Minor Decoy Program, where students under the age of 20 can volunteer to buy alcohol to test if establishments will sell to a minor.
The Stockton Fire Department offers an auxiliary program, where one can be a volunteer firefighter. This includes training and being present for a shift once a month.
The Lincoln Unified Department of Public Safety offers training programs to non-sworn officers. “It is a good stepping stone,” said Travis Brown, with the Lincoln Unified Department of Public Safety.
