If you were new to the Newton area, and asked someone to describe Brian Foster, the answers might make you think he was a rock star.
It turns out Foster is merely a very well-liked and well-respected officer in a community with many well-respected law enforcement individuals, and he is switching jobs soon. He’s rotating out of his post as the Newton Police Department’s school resource officer in October, and Julie Britton has drawn the dubious-yet-enviable assignment of replacing him for the next three school years.
“It’s big shoes to fill, for sure,” Britton said. “Officer Foster has built up a great base of trust and respect in the community, and I hope to build off of that. I just want to show people that I care — that I want to be there helping them.”
The Newton Community School District Board of Education recently renewed its agreement with NPD, which has stationed an officer in a Newton school for many years. It has utilized the services of many hard-working officers, including two familiar and still-serving NPD employees, Randy Camp and Wes Breckenridge.
Waiting until a couple of months into the 2016-17 school year to complete the transition will allow students to get to know Britton and allow Foster to emphasize how the two officers have different personalities, but an equal interest in student safety and community well-being.
“The students are so used to me now, but that’s one of the reasons we switch every three years,” Foster said. “We have different styles, but we’re enforcing the same laws, and the school rules aren’t going to change just because there’s a new SRO. I’ll tell students that if something was inappropriate in the past, it’s still going to be inappropriate in the future.”
Britton, who was born and raised in Newton as Julie Beukema, had already started her path in law enforcement when she met Josh Britton, a Jasper County Sheriff’s Office deputy who she later married. She has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Iowa University with a major in criminology and a minor in psychology, attended the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston and has completed training with a national organization for school resource officers.
The Newton SRO has a desk at Newton High School, and spends a great deal of time on that campus. However, between outreach and education, such as the Safety City program, and fielding calls on other campuses, the SRO gets to all district sites regularly.
“I feel like the SRO inevitably ends up a little more disconnected from what’s happening on other patrols, unless we hear about something in shift report,” Foster said. “But I also ended up connecting way more with families than regular patrol officers would. That helps a lot, not just in establishing trust, but also in investigating cases.”
Foster said students are frequently a first point of contact in many criminal matters in Newton, not because they are involved in crime, but because students talk to one another. Many times, the SRO will strike up a friendly conversation about the day, and information is volunteered that is pertinent to an active case, or perhaps a situation that was previously unknown to police.
Foster developed excellent rapport in the community and in the schools during his time as SRO, including his role coaching NHS’s freshman football team. He was recently named the recipient of the inaugural Newton Daily News Law Enforcement Employee of the Year Award.
Social media is also another way the SRO both connects with students and the community and learns what’s happening on campus and in town. While the ongoing changes in new phone apps is tough to follow, Britton plans to be proactive on Facebook and Twitter to get the news out about important events and issues.
Neither Foster nor Britton seem concerned the gender switch at the SRO spot will create different challenges in interacting with students or the public. In fact, Britton said, many men were trained to be more respectful to women, so behavioral issues will likely have more to do with policies and laws than personal identities.
“Even adults need reminders sometimes about the right things to do,” she said.
Foster will continue to be involved with youth activities in the Newton area as he moves on to a different position within NPD, so people will still see his smile around town.
There are no immediate plans to change any programs or campaigns, but as society evolves and issues arise, Britton will address the needs of area students; she’ll take over the Junior Police Academy held each June.
While the gender difference in the two SROs will be minimized, Britton acknowledges she brings “something different to the table” regarding the experience being one of the few female officers in Iowa, and looks forward to connecting with all students — especially girls.
“It’s my job to enforce the law,” Britton said. “But it’s also my job to realize my role can affect a lot of people. I try to remember what life was like when I was in school, and relate that to the lives of the young people I strive to serve and protect.”
Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com