Lessons learned in “everyday law”

By Gracie Hart
Review Staff Writer

Published: September 4, 2008

Students at Prospect Heights Middle School look up to Eric Hopwood-and not just because he’s a commanding physical presence among so many teenagers.  Hopwood, the school’s resource officer, is now one of the students’ instructors.
Before becoming a resource officer at the middle school, Hopwood was a patrol deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.  After returning to work after a brief disability, Hopwood was offered the chance to try being a resource officer.  He is now in his fifth year at Prospect Heights.
“My primary function is school safety,“ said Hopwood.  “My secondary function entails a lot of mentoring and educating students on how to deal with everyday life problems.“
Hopwood is helping students to deal with those problems through a class called Everyday Law.  The class, in its first year of operation, is taught to 20 eighth-grade students and is one of the exploratory options that students can choose at the end of their seventh grade year.
“I had asked the nurse, a guidance counselor and Officer Hopwood if they would volunteer to teach an exploratory class,“ said Prospect Heights Principal Frank Leech.  “I thought it was a way for him to get to know students better and teach them some of the practical law aspects.“
Hopwood has combined a class called Class Action and added more material to it.  Some of the subjects covered include gang education, internet safety and internet bullying.
“I educate them on internet threats, vandalism and stealing,“ said Hopwood.  “On the internet, kids are opening their lives to everyone and some of them don’t realize that until after they hit the send button.“
Hopwood tries to make the class educational and fun at the same time.  Later this semester, students will participate in a mock crime scene investigation leading up to a mock trial.  The students will also participate in many other interesting criminal justice elements.
“I plan on having guest speakers to speak with the students, having a trip to the courthouse to sit in on a juvenile case and a taking a tour of the holding facilities,“ said Hopwood.  “Some [of the class] will be geared towards allowing students to see it from my point-of-view.“
So far, the nine-week class had proven popular.
“More kids want to be involved in it,“ said Leech.  “There is a great interest in it.“
Hopwood is committed to helping the kids lead successful lives.
“I do a lot of trying to head off problems that I see occurring in their lives,“ he said.  “I try to redirect them and treat all the kids as if they are my own.“
Leech agrees.
“The kids look up to him,“ he said.  “To have him volunteer for this class was amazing.“