Here's a unique idea for putting more community police on city streets: Recruit McCaskey students for patrol duty.

A neighborhood group in northeast Lancaster wants to do just that — uniform "select" students in the high school's law enforcement class, and put them on the beat.

"We send kids off to war at 18. I don't think we'd have a problem with them walking the neighborhoods," said Jack Tracy, a former city councilman and candidate for magisterial district judge who came up with the idea.

City and school district officials, questioned by the New Era about the idea today, expressed concern for the safety of students but said the idea might be worth exploring.

"I certainly would be willing to sit down and talk with Mr. Tracy. But there's a lot of concerns there," said city police Chief Sam Gatchell. "You're sending youth out on the street with perhaps not the best decision-making skills that an adult attains through years of experience."

A spokeswoman for the school district said Superintendent Rita Bishop was not aware of the proposal's details, but she was concerned about "huge liability issues."

Tracy made his pitch at a Tuesday meeting of the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Advisory Committee, of which he is a member. Many of its dozen members thought it was a good idea, he said.

The program would allow students interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement to gain some experience. And it also would boost the presence of uniformed patrols in that part of the city, he said.

"I think it would work as a deterrent against crime," said Tracy. "You want visibility. You want these people to be seen, meeting business owners. They wouldn't carry guns. They wouldn't get involved. If they see something, they call the police. You're there as a witness, providing information to the police."

Tracy said the patrols would operate in a similar fashion to the James Street Improvement District's ambassadors, who keep watch over the city's northwest, near Franklin & Marshall College.

The city police now employ four "cadets" who are college students. They patrol in police cars and respond to routine calls such as parking complaints and minor accidents. The cadets, who are paid by the Lancaster Alliance, do not have the authority to make arrests, however, and they do not carry weapons.

At first, the McCaskey patrols would not be paid, Tracy said. But the students could earn credits for community service toward high school graduation. Eventually, the neighborhood group would seek grants to pay for the patrols.

Tracy also said he would seek the best students and help them get training for the patrol work from their class instructor, a former lieutenant with the city police department.

"Not all students we can send out to the community. They have to be selected," he said. "They have to be people who we can put out on the street, who can meet business people, interact with residents, walk the streets.

"It would bond the school district and community together," Tracy said. "It's a great idea. I don't foresee a liability issue. We're not getting involved (in making arrests). We're just reporting crime."

Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray, asked about the idea, expressed concern for the safety of students but said the proposal might be worth exploring.

"The initial question that comes to mind is, are we putting kids at risk?" Gray said. "My reaction is that this would have to be very structured and we would have to be very careful if we proceeded with anything like that.

"It's worth talking about, but my initial reaction is you'd have to think about it, think out all the different things that could occur, good and bad," Gray said.

Tracy, 52, of 726 Hamilton St., has extensive experience in the security business. He works as a security supervisor for the pharmaceutical firm Wyeth and studied law enforcement and criminal justice in college.

A Republican, he is running for the district judge seat formerly held by Richard W. Musser, who quit abruptly in 2005 amid allegations that he didn't live in the district as required by law.

Tracy's proposal comes at a time when city police, and firefighters as well, are struggling to recruit potential officers from the community.

"I would welcome any help in that area," said Chief Gatchell. "We are struggling. We are begging for applicants, police and fire. We have made extended efforts to recruit here."

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