COPS DARE TO BE COOL WITH VAN

Wild decoration helps deliver anti-drug message to schools

The sixth-graders listened politely and attentively to San Carlos police
officer Bruce Potts' classroom lecture on the perils of using drugs.

The Alpha Beacon Christian School students dutifully filled in their Drug
Abuse Resistance Education workbooks and raised their hands when prompted
to answer his questions.

But as engaged as they were in their discussion about the importance of
self-esteem, they really sprang to life when led outside to the parking
lot.

There, parked at the curb, was a black-and-white van painted in a wild and
colorful swirl of flames and stripes.

One of the few giveaways that this was an official police vehicle were the
red-and-blue bar lights on the top and the city seal on the side.

As the two dozen youngsters climbed across the seats, found the siren
button and squealed with delight in their quest to fit all their squirming
bodies into the minivan, Potts looked on with a satisfied grin.

``It's a publicity tool for the DARE program -- and it takes me out of the
patrol car and projects a different image for me. Usually, people don't see
us until they're in trouble,'' he said.

The razzle-dazzle van -- bought and decorated with $30,000 in community
contributions and donated materials -- is being displayed to 1,800 San
Carlos public and private school students this semester.

Used by Potts in his DARE presentations to junior-high-school-age students,
and by other San Carlos Police Department officers for bicycle safety and
Police Athletic League programs, the month-old van apparently is
accomplishing its mission of breaking down barriers between police and
kids, and helping make youth more receptive to the anti-drug message.

``I think police are nice,'' said Justin Schneider, 12, of San Mateo, as he
wedged into the back seat of the van with his Alpha Beacon buddies.

Police Cmdr. James Cost said he's seen scores of decorated police vehicles
on his travels across the United States, ``and this is about as wild as
I've seen.''

A number of departments have souped-up sports cars, vividly painted Camaros
and eye-catching Trans Ams, but Cost said the San Carlos van is in a class
of its own.

The hood and sides are painted with gold, red and purple shooting flames,
the front bumper has flashing lights, and long stripes dart along the
sides.

In one concession to decorum, the names of the city's schools are neatly
printed in block letters on the tinted windows.

``It's to just the grab the kids -- to get their attention and break their
stereotype of cops as stern and authoritarian,'' Cost said.

The city's efforts to acquire the van began three years ago, with officer
Rich Dickerson as a driving force behind the move.

Off-duty officers sold hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks at
city-sponsored functions, and the Patton family (which requested that no
other information be released about them) made a sizable donation toward
the $16,000 purchase of the 1997 Ford Aerostar van.

Hayward Ford sold the vehicle at a discounted price, as well as making a
$1,000 cash donation, police said.

Mild to Wild Custom Paint of San Carlos contributed a graphics-and-paint
scheme with an estimated value of $12,000, Dickerson said.

Other businesses making donations included Avenue Auto Service, AJKL Inc.
(Goodyear Tire Center), L'Mirage A Full Service Salon, Almega Collision
Repair Center, The Preferred Image, Priority One and San Carlos Paints.

Potts said driving the van around town certainly is unlike being in the
standard-issue squad car.

``People wave or they laugh,'' he said. ``I'm afraid that one of these days
I'm going to cause a traffic accident.''