Serving with the U.S. Marines in Iraq, King County Sheriff's Deputy Cameron Lefler says he had an "epiphany."

The Marines were able to keep relative peace in the village he was assigned to with few troops. The reason, Lefler surmised, was the troops and villagers knew and trusted each other.

In a flash of insight, Lefler concluded that the same form of "community policing" could work back in the states.

When he returned to the Burien Police Department, where he has served since 1993, Lefler volunteered to become a School Resource Officer (SRO), assigned full-time to Highline High School.

"I definitely want to stay here," Lefler noted. "When I was on patrol duty, I was arresting the same people over and over and I felt I wasn't making a difference. Here, I can see the light bulb come on (in a student's mind.)"

Now, however, officers at Highline, Evergreen and Tyee High in SeaTac may not be able to stay in the schools. Superintendent John Welch recommended to board members May 24 that the district save $150,000 by not funding the positions in next year's budget.

The district faces a $3.1 million general fund budget shortfall.

The SRO at Mt. Rainier High is not affected because the district agreed earlier to pay an officer to patrol traffic and parking at the school's interim Olympic site.

District officials point out the officers' salaries used to be paid by the cities or King County with federal grants. When the grants dried up, the district paid a larger share of the salaries.

The district's security staff also has been beefed up with better-trained officers, according to officials.

A full-time district security officer is assigned to each high school. In addition, two security officers cover each high school as well as nearby middle and elementary schools.

In the district's newsletter, Welch recently commented, "While we are deeply appreciative of the service our SRO's provide, when faced with tough budget choices we may not be able to sustain this program.

"I am confident our district security officers are able to provide the level of safety we expect and require for our schools."

But North Highline Unincorporated Area Council representative Barbara Peters is skeptical of the level of law-enforcement training the district employees receive compared to sheriff's deputies.

"I don't know what the school district is thinking," Peters declared. "When it comes to safety, they should find somewhere else to cut."

Lefler, Highline's SRO, says his job differs from what district security officers do.

While district officers focus on day-to-day security, Lefler works on preventative measures.

He spends much of his school day in the vice principal's and counselors' offices talking to students, parents and staff.

At the May 24 school board meeting, a Highline teacher referred to Lefler as the school's "fifth counselor."

"I am a go-between," Lefler said. "The most important thing is the trust of the 1,500 kids here. They all know they can come to me in confidence."

Lefler adds that he warns students beforehand about mandatory reporting requirements that he must follow.

As Lefler pauses in the hallway or walks through the cafeteria, he is constantly joking and talking with students or being approached by teachers or staff with concerns or tips about students.

District spokeswoman Catherine Carbone Rogers noted it is also part of a security officer's job to build rapport and establish relationships with students.

Having a police officer on campus enhances the work done by district security personnel, according to Lefler.

"If they find something illegal, I am already here and know the players," he said.

Rogers noted that the partnership was effective in an incident three years ago at Evergreen when a student brought a semi-automatic pistol to school.

The assistant principal and security officer interviewed the student who admitted he had the gun in his backpack. Steve Beets, the Evergreen SRO, was called into the office, searched the backpack, and arrested the student, she recalled.

Rogers also notes that it was district employees who discovered the student possessed a gun.

Lefler said he can take security to another level by creating a safety buffer zone around the school while district personnel are confined to "sidewalk-to-sidewalk" security.

When school gets out, "gangbangers" can be hanging around just off campus.

"I tell them, 'You re wearing this tag that says you're a gang member.'" Lefler declared. ""I remind them they are in a hate-free, gun-free, drug-free, everything-free zone."

He added that photographing the suspected gang members is effective in making them disperse.

However, district security chief Tony Zeman told SeaTac council members recently that the district has the flexibility to move security officers around the district in emergencies, while SROs are assigned to only one school.

When some Hispanic students walked out of class to attend a recent immigration rights rally, Lefler said his relationships helped turn a potentially explosive situation into a teaching moment.

He started talking to the students about elements of the Mexican flag and encouraged them to learn the details about pending immigration legislation.

Lefler said the students learned the rally's purpose wasn't "to get out of school and meet girls."

In a presentation to an English Language Learners class, Lefler discusses a wide range of topics including apartment landlord disputes, domestic violence, driving without a driver's license, statutory rape laws and student fighting.

Lefler said he feels "the district is getting a lot of bang for their bucks" with the SRO program.

"The fun part of this job is finding problem-solving strategies," Lefler concludes. "The bottom line here is that we are trying to get everybody to graduate and become decent citizens."

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1855.