School board thanks retiring police officers

From left: school board president Bobbie Samperi, Cpl. Mike Pope, Cpl. Kevin Kendall and superintendent Dr. John Garcia. Photo courtesy DUSD

DOWNEY – Downey Police Department corporals Mike Pope and Kevin Kendall were honored at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting for their support of Downey Unified students and families over the past several years. 

Police officers began patrolling Downey Unified campuses in 1998, when the initial school resource officer pilot program began. This program, which is a rotating shift of officers that spend their days off patrolling Downey Unified’s three high schools, provides Columbus, Downey and Warren high schools with an armed officer on campus during school hours. 

Participating in this program since its inception, Pope and Kendall are two of DPD’s 20 sworn police officers enrolled in the department’s school resource officer program.

“Working as the resource officer at Downey High is one of the most fun details I’ve ever done,” said Pope. “It’s very weird working at Downey since I’m a Warren graduate, but I look forward to my time on campus every Friday. 

“I want to thank the district for this opportunity and the school administration for the very special friendship we have developed over the years.”

Both Downey Unified alumni, Kendall retired from DPD in December after serving for 30 years and Pope will be retiring this month after 31 years of service.

“The resource officer program is so powerful for students,” said Tom Houts, Downey High School principal who took the podium to say a few words. “The students see a different officer each day and they begin to establish relationships with them and are able to see that they are just human beings, becoming a type of mentor to some students.”

Kendall is also a teacher of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Law Enforcement Pathway at Downey High School, his alma mater. Teaching within Downey Unified since 2004, Kendall has educated countless students on the basics of law enforcement.

“I want to thank Phil Davis for starting this pathway,” said Kendall. “It’s been such a pleasure to work with these students each day and I want to thank everyone for all of their help.  Of course I knew the law enforcement codes, but learning the education codes that needed to be incorporated into this pathway was something new to me.”