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School to pay informants
Associated PressMonday, April 11, 2005
Rome --- A local high school is looking for a few good finks.

Using revenue from its candy and soda sales, Model High School plans to pay up to $100 for information about thefts and drug or gun possession on campus.

''It's not that we feel there are any problems here,'' principal Glenn White said. ''It's a proactive move for getting information that will help deter any sort of illegal activity.''

Under the new policy, if a student provides information about a theft on campus, the student will receive $10. A student can earn $25 or $50 for information about drug possession, and $100 for information about gun possession or other serious felonies.

Informants will not receive the reward if they are involved in the crime, White said.
There is no similar system in place at nearby Rome High Schoo,l because students there have a rapport with the school resources officer and already are comfortable providing information, said Superintendent Gayland Cooper.

''We feel the reward is the kids knowing they have a safe school,'' Cooper said.

The idea for the program came from Cobb County's Kell High School. There, student tips earlier this year led to the arrest of a classmate who had brought a handgun to school.

No Model High students have received the reward yet, but some questioned the logic behind it. Senior Jaime Parris said that most students already would tell faculty about anything that threatened student safety.

''But if it's not going to hurt other people, I don't think many people are going to tell on their friends,'' she said.

Another student, junior Jared Ivey, said he didn't like the policy and doesn't see the need for it when there are so few problems with crime on campus.

''I'm not sure why they're so concerned about it,'' he said.