By Kevin Bethel, a retired Philadelphia Police officer and the District’s Chief of School Safety (Tom MacDonald/WHYY) The School District of Philadelphia is expanding their mentorship program, which pairs school police officers with middle school students. District officials said on Thursday this initiative is a long-term strategy to reduce gun violence in the city. “Mentoring is so important,” said Kevin Bethel, a retired Philadelphia Police officer and the District’s Chief of School Safety. “The evidence identifies… if we just have one adult with a child, we can change the trajectory of that child forever.” The program is the district’s effort to equip students with the “life skills necessary for their futures.”