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July 2007
Getting To Know
School Police Lieutenant Rueben Littlejohn
 Rueben Littlejohn
With his warm smile and affable manner, you might never suspect that School Police Lieutenant Rueben Littlejohn has black belts in four different styles of martial arts. His 25 + years of martial arts experience and expertise have earned him a place in the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He will be inducted into the hall on August 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lt. Littlejohn joined the San Diego Unified School District Police Department in 2001 after serving nearly seven years with the La Mesa Police Department. During his time with the district, he has quickly moved up the ranks, from patrol officer to campus police officer to sergeant to his current position as Operations Lieutenant. He currently oversees 45 sworn police officers and 25 community service officers. He also coordinates the district’s disaster management program; provides ongoing safety training to police, principals and administrators; and acts as a community liaison between school police and other community agencies, including San Diego Police and Fire departments.

Why did you decide to switch from city police work to school police?
I was the elementary school DARE officer with the La Mesa Police Department. I got accustomed to working with schools and enjoyed the educational environment. The role of a school police officer is part educator. It’s our job to educate kids, schools and the community about the law and how to uphold it. We have the unique opportunity to engage in daily contact with students, teachers, staff and members of the community to help promote a positive learning environment with the schools, and to build ever-growing cooperative partnerships among the schools and the surrounding communities.

What do you see as one of the biggest issues for school police today?
We work very hard to get schools to take safety seriously. To think about it daily, not just when there’s a national tragedy like Virginia Tech. Schools need to be vigilant about making sure they’re prepared for a disaster. They should have regular disaster drills and provide trainings for their staff. Keep their site disaster plan up-to-date. Make sure every visitor on the campus signs in and out in the office and wears a name tag. Police Services is here to help schools stay safe. We can assist school sites and departments with trainings. We can perform security checks and make recommendations to improve safety and security at little or no cost. Our job is to serve and protect our students, schools and staff.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?
Without a doubt, the re-opening of Lincoln High School and the other new schools in the district. When a new school opens, it’s an exciting time for the community. We look forward to doing our part to make sure that everything gets off to a good start and stays that way. The new Lincoln High School is a state-of-the-art facility steeped in tradition. We’re excited to be a part of protecting this community treasure.