Denver Public Schools and the Denver Police Department will honor parents of children attending Barnum Elementary School for successfully initiating a pilot Parent Watch program aimed at protecting students from sexual predators.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 15 at Barnum Elementary School, 85 Hooker St.

Principal Myrella Santovena-Goff initiated the program in February with the help of Denver Police School Resource Officers Manny Hayes and Mark Roggeman in response to indecent exposure reports near the school. She equips parents with surplus City cell phones to call 911 in the event they spot someone suspicious. The Denver Department of Safety has committed to expanding the effort to other schools.

“Sexual predators will think twice about preying on children at school where parents are patrolling,” says Manager of Safety Ari Zavaras, noting that close collaboration between police, schools and parents has worked. There haven’t been any sexual exposure incidents reported near the school since the Parent Watch program started.