A Stranger In The House, Part 3a

SHOW ME THE LOVE: AT-RISK CHILDREN NEED ATTENTION

Ex-FBI Agent Helps Kids Understand Dangers Of Drugs

Many of the second-graders Dan Vogel mentors have negative attitudes about
law enforcement. The police may have searched their homes for drugs or
arrested a family member, he said.

Mentoring disadvantaged elementary children at Heronville Elementary School
in southwest Oklahoma City has been a personal crusade of Vogel's the last
seven years. Vogel is a retired media coordinator for the FBI and past
coordinator for the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime.

His anti-drug message stems from the belief that by helping the students
improve their self-confidence and education, they will be less likely to
experiment with drugs.

"They're exposed to a lot of things the kids here in Edmond don't see --
the drive-by shootings, the gang influence," Vogel said.

However, they share a common denominator with many of the Edmond youth who
are at risk for substance abuse. Parents are not paying enough attention to
both groups of children, the Edmond resident said.

"Rather than paying attention, (in Edmond) "they give them stuff," he said.
These parents in southwest Oklahoma City don't have the money to give their
kids stuff. They just don't get anything."

Many of the second-graders he visits once a week are from broken homes and
speak two languages. More than 80 percent who are Hispanic speak two languages.

Second-graders are easier to impact than teen-agers because most have not
yet become cynical, Vogel said.

"It's an important age to get to the kids. And we need to get to them as
young as we can."

His immediate payback is receiving cheers and "thank you" letters from the
children. His long-term payback is perhaps a safer world to live in.

Their teacher, Sydney Gore, asked her students, "Why does Mr. Vogel come
here every week?" One child responded, "He likes us." Another said, "He
thinks we're cute."

"Then, a little girl said -- and really hit on reason -- 'because he loves
us and cares about us,'" Vogel said. "And that's really the message I
wanted to get across to those children. Those kids are just starved for
attention."

Students realize that a caring person outside the school is committed to
their success, he said. Vogel doesn't want to disappoint the children, so
he lets the teacher know when he cannot attend the class.

It is important for Edmond residents to care about what occurs in a
neighborhood 30 miles away. Otherwise, the problem encroaches into their
own back yard, he said.

"I really think a lot of people don't think there's a problem because when
they drive around, everything looks normal."

Most Americans have the attitude that nothing becomes their problem until
it reaches their home, he said. He said it's usually after a great tragedy
occurs that people begin examining what has occurred.

"Those are the people who need to get out in the community and encourage
other people to get out in the community and change these things if they
don't like what's going on," he said. "Don't wait for the government to fix
it. ... If you don't like it, get out there and see what you can do to make
it better."