S
chool Resource Depu-
ty Dennis Thomas and
a group of advanced
auto shop students, on Nov.
7, showed off the result of
a two month-long creative
project at Lomppoc’s Cabrillo
High School.
GOLF
CAR
NEWS
Cabrillo High Auto Shop
Students Turn Golf Cart
Into Cop Cart
Santa Barbara County
Sheriff’s Office | November
9, 2018
They spent more than 80
hours transforming a golf
cart that was donated to the
school into a mode of trans-
portation that Thomas can
use to patrol the campus
and provide security to staff
and students. The “cop cart”
is even equipped with lights
and sirens.
The project is special not only
in that it provided an extra
security resource on campus
but it was also a bonding ex-
perience for Thomas and the
auto shop students.
“When law enforcement and
students have the ability to
work on a mutual project it
is a success on all accounts,”
said Thomas, an 18-year
veteran of the Sheriff’s Office
who became the new school
resource deputy at Cabrillo
and Maple high schools this
year.
Before entering law en-
forcement, Thomas was a
mechanic and now puts his
former career to use by help-
ing out in the auto shop class
when possible.
When a golf cart was do-
nated to the school, it was
the perfect opportunity for
Thomas to use his skills and
new position to work with students on a
project that would benefit the school.
He said transforming the Cop Cart will
likely go down as one of his most mem-
orable experiences as a school resource
deputy.
“This cart allows me to not only have
transportation around campus but gives
me a starting point to begin lines of
communication with students who may
not ever have wanted to talk to a cop,” he
said. “It was incredibly rewarding to do
something positive and constructive with
the students.
“I am very proud of them for taking on
this challenge, following directions and
seeing the project through to completion
with enthusiasm.”
Cabrillo High Senior Tyler Burch said he
enjoyed working on this project: “I love
building things so this project was per-
fect for me. We had to tear it all the way
down and build it back up.”
Cabrillo High School Principal Isidro Car-
rasco said he was pleased with the pro-
cess and final product.
“Senior Deputy Thomas has done an out-
standing job of using the Cop Cart project
as a way to build relationships with our
students,” Carrasco said. “These positive
relationships go a long way in helping to
keep our campus safe.
“We want to work as a team to provide
services to our students so that they can
succeed on our campus.”
In addition to campus security, the Cop
Cart will be used in upcoming school pa-
rades and high school games.
DECEMBER 2018
35