DOGS patrolling schools to keep kids safe

MAPLE VALLEY -- The Tahoma School District is using Watch DOGS to patrol elementary school hallways and keep kids safe while they learn in the classrooms.

DOGS stands for Dads Of Good Students. Fathers donate their time to patrol the hallways, read to children, play at recess and eat in the cafeteria. Selfishly, dads get to spend more time with their kids but they provide a safety blanket and more for the rest of the students.

Glacier Park Elementary School Principal, Chris Thomas said, "Safety was the first thing that came to mind in establishing the program. From there it was realized that hey there are so many more benefits to having more males in a school setting on top of safety."

Cisco Masias is a longtime volunteer and believes in the program.

Masias said, "It’s patrolling the perimeter and making sure everything is safe but also that sense of security, that peace of mind and that security blanket for the kids to see and also the teachers to know that somebody is out there watching."

Every volunteer goes through a background check. Watch DOGS can also be uncles, grandfathers or close family friends who want to help out.