A former All-American baseball player is helping the Ames Police Department be more involved with the community.

Tom Shelton is the department’s second community resource officer – a position dedicated to improving relations with the community.

“We needed better communication with the community,” he said. “Just being on patrol, we couldn’t do it.”

Capt. Terry Bird, acting chief of the Ames Police Department, said the department’s community involvement theory has proved to be strong.

“It goes back to community policing – get the police and the community together,” he said.

Shelton said he also thinks things work better when the police get involved with and get to know the community.

In one instance, neighbors around Phoenix Street complained about parking and garbage collection problems.

Shelton said that night, 19 neighbors turned out for the “productive discussion.”

“We talked about it, talked about expectations,” he said. “The point is to get the questions and the answers out there.”

The community resource officer also organizes several programs.

Shelton said the Citizens Police Academy is a weekly program that provides Ames citizens with the opportunity to experience police operations first hand. The curriculum is similar to a real police academy, but the 11-week program is not designed to train participants as police officers.

He said since 1999, 81 people have graduated from the program and another 15 will start in the fall.

The car seat check-up event is another of Shelton’s responsibilities.

“If there is one program I like best it would be the car seat program,” he said. “Nine out of 10 people who come through the event are put in a car seat incorrectly.”

Shelton said he also responds to phone calls from a variety of organizations in the community asking him to give presentations.

“I get a lot of `can you come in and talk to my class about something’ calls,” Shelton said.

He said teachers’ favorite topics are fingerprinting, safety and 911.

Shelton said he also works with ISU students to present programs ranging from self-defense to alcohol awareness.

“Iowa State University is also a part of the community,” Shelton said. “We’re doing a lot of stuff with fraternities and sororities.”

Shelton said his work gives him an advantage over other officers, but it took him some getting use to at first.

“Most officers work in a one-on-one situation; I like working with groups,” he said. “I got some extra training that helped me overcome my stage-fright fears.”

If he has any spare time at work between programs, Shelton said he still goes out and runs a radar or serves warrants.

Cpl. Rory Echer became the first community resource officer in 1998. When he was promoted to Corporal, Shelton was appointed.

“We’ve had nothing but good reports on both of them [Echer and Shelton],” Bird said. “We’re still learning but I think it’s doing good.”

Bird said Shelton is just the man for this kind of job.

“The individual has got to have some interest in doing it,” said Bird.

“I don’t think just anybody could do it, it takes a person to really dedicate himself.”