by Melissa Eiselein, The Press Enterprise
Moreno Valley, Calif. police Officer Butch Rasmussen said he believes he has the best job in the world. Unlike some officers, Rasmussen does not patrol the streets late at night or chase bad guys. Rasmussen heads up the department’s youth programs. He is in charge of the local chapter of police Explorers and oversees the SOAR program. SOAR -- Students, Opportunities, Achievement and Recognition -- is an after-school program for at-risk students who attend Sunnymead Middle School in Moreno Valley.
“I always wanted to be a deputy sheriff, but I never imagined I’d be working with kids,” Rasmussen said. “It’s fun. It’s a great job. If I can save one or two kids a year, it’s a good thing.”
In August, Rasmussen and his wife, Susie, became foster parents to two boys, ages 12 and 16.
“One has been a participant in the program for a couple of years. The other was his foster brother,” Rasmussen said. “I never thought I’d be a foster dad. My wife and I had talked about it before, but I said I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want their baggage.”
Rasmussen, who has two grown children, said he now looks forward to coming home to his foster sons.
“They help fill my day,” he said. “They keep me young.”
Rasmussen, a former Air Force master sergeant, retired from working at March Air Force Base in July 1994 after spending 22 years as a personnel technician. After his retirement, Rasmussen joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“I was a pretty old rookie. I was 43 when I went through the sheriff’s academy,” Rasmussen said.
Immediately after graduating from the academy, Rasmussen was assigned to the Moreno Valley Police Department, where he worked as a school resource officer at Sunnymead Middle School. With the help of grants, the department started SOAR in 1999.
Sunnymead Middle School was targeted for the program because of low test scores and high truancy rates, Rasmussen said. Rasmussen took over the program about 21/2 years ago.
“All the kids have their own issues. There’s one kid that’s seen four violent deaths in his family,” Rasmussen said. “We give them a safe place to come in the evenings. They love it. They’re staying in school and staying out of trouble.”
The youngsters in the program seem to like Rasmussen as much as he likes them.
“Butch is tight. He helps us out with projects and takes us on field trips,” said Jonathan Rivera, 15, of Moreno Valley.
Jonathan, an eighth-grader at Sunnymead, said he plans to join the police Explorers when he goes on to high school.
Gary Sharp, a sixth-grader at Sunnymead, started attending SOAR this year.
“I like it. It’s pretty good. I get exercise, and they feed me here,” Gary said.
Before going into the Police Activities League center on March Air Reserve Base, where SOAR is based, Gary ran up to Rasmussen and gave him a hug.
“I always hug Butch,” Gary said.
Rasmussen is quick to return the affection. As he helps the children with their homework, he chats with them like an old friend, talking about school and the weekend.
“I’m a lucky guy,” Rasmussen said. “I’ve got the best job in the world.”