STAR on police chopping block

GLENDALE — Maria Martinez, a Glendale mother of three, couldn’t imagine what her and her children’s lives would have been like without the help of local police officers.

An Edison Elementary School teacher approached Martinez, 35, several years ago and told her to enroll her son and daughter in the Glendale Police Department’s Students Training As Role models program, commonly known as STAR, where mentor at-risk children from the ages of 9 to 11 and get getting them involved in community service activities until they reach 15.

Martinez quickly jumped at the opportunity and enrolled her children in the program, which she said has changed their lives. Since they joined, her 14-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, who already graduated from the program, have volunteered at convalescent homes, cleaned up graffiti and local beaches, she said.

“They learn things that we as parents don’t have the resources to [teach],” Martinez said. “Being in the program has prevented them from doing things that they shouldn’t be doing.”

Martinez has often relied on Officer Sue Shine of the department’s Community Police Partnerships Unit for advice on parenting and taking care of the teens.

Last year, Shine was able to get Martinez, her husband and children a basket with goodies from Whole Foods for Christmas.

“We are in a not-so-good financial situation,” Martinez said. “We are just hoping to get food on the table right now.”

Martinez was also hoping to enroll her 2 1/2-year-old baby girl into the program when she turned 9.

But Martinez’s plans might be put on hold.

The Police Department announced last week during the City Council’s budget study sessions, which were initiated to close the city’s $9.7-million deficit, that the STAR program was one of five other community-based prevention programs proposed to be cut to save money as part of an overall effort to close a projected $9.7-million budget gap.

But Shine said the STAR program is more than just an after-school program. Officers help the children’s parents find housing, jobs and dental and medical care.

“We are growing people,” she said.