New Youth Officer Has Roots in Wayland Schools

Look out, Wayland Public Schools. Shane Bowles is back.

This time, it’s not as a student, but as the newly appointed youth officer with the . Bowles grew up in Wayland and attended Wayland Public Schools.

On Nov. 28, Bowles started in the youth officer position, vacant since . These first couple of days, Bowles said, have been all about logistics and planning, including everything from updating business cards, email addresses and phone numbers, to taking first steps toward future goals and plans.

Plus, since the youth officer position is a specialist position, the hardware on Bowle’s uniform – the badge and other gear – will change from silver to gold. It’s a change Bowles said will draw the ridicule and good-natured ribbing of his co-workers in the patrol division.

Bowles joined the Wayland Police Department in 2002, and said he quickly settled on a goal of becoming the Town’s youth officer.

“Right after I got on is when I realized I wanted to be a youth officer,” Bowles said. “I saw what Jim [Forti] did. I love the town. I loved being a kid in the town. I like being in the schools.”

Eventually, Bowles said he hopes to spend more time in Wayland’s schools than at the police department. There is no manual for the youth officer position, Bowles said, but that means he can start with his own ideas, one of which includes exploring the possibility of conducting monthly meetings during which parents can ask questions.

Bowles said he plans to spend the first few months of his job focused on interacting with the kids and gaining the respect of kids, parents, teachers and administrators.

And just because the job is largely up to his own to design doesn’t mean he won’t take some advice from those who came before him.

Bowles said he had been in touch with Forti and planned to continue seeking the former youth officer’s thoughts about the position he held for more than 15 years.

“I bought his Mustang and took his job,” Bowles joked about his predecessor.

Bowles holds an Associate of Science Degree in criminal studies from Western New England College. In addition, he has completed in-service training in several police and youth-related programs including “police Responding to Youths with Mental Issues, Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect, and Students Rights to Privacy/Search and Seizure versus Safety.

“Our community is so based around the kids,” Bowles said. “That’s why I think the youth officer position is so important.”

To read more about Officer Bowles, check out the Patch article "," from May 2011.