WAYNESBORO Mark Kearney had the nerve, the smarts and the physical stamina to fight crime when he became a police officer in Waynesboro eight years ago.

What he probably didn't expect was that being a bookworm would help him so much.

Kearney, 38, said that years into his law-enforcement work, he learned about the link between illiteracy and crime.

So he used his love of books to start a sort of international authors' workshop and book fair, scheduled to take place for the second year in Waynesboro this week. And he enlisted his colleagues in the Waynesboro Police Department to get into local schools to read to children.

Literacy, Kearney thinks, is unexplored territory in crime prevention.

"If we get kids reading more when they're young and get them to grow up reading more, it will give them better job opportunities, and it should reduce the potential that they'll get in trouble," he said.

Kearney, the crime-prevention officer with the Waynesboro police, was scheduled to be among the guests at this weekend's kickoff of Read Aloud to a Child Week, at Richmond's Byrd Theatre. Police Chief Rodney Monroe was also to be at the event, which is held by Richmond-based Read Aloud Virginia.

Kearney first used his love of books to raise money for the Virginia Crime Stoppers Association. The private, nonprofit organization runs tip lines and pays rewards for information that helps solve crimes.

Three years ago, he met author Patricia Terrell, who held book-signings to raise money for Crime Stoppers. The two later thought of organizing book signings with several authors to raise money for the association.

Kearney's thoughts then turned to literacy, and he and Terrell co-founded the Book'Em Foundation to organize workshops that would raise money for both causes, he said.

Last October, the Waynesboro Police Department hosted book signings in the local high school, he said. "It was a one-day event, and we had almost 50 authors attend."

The writers donated proceeds from books sales to literacy programs in the Shenandoah Valley and to Crime Stoppers, he said.

This year's Book'Em, scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, will feature 75 authors, some from as far away as Scotland. They will talk about writing and publishing and will sign books for sale. Many other authors who won't attend have donated books, Kearney said.

One of his main goals is to spread the message of literacy and crime prevention outside the valley. "Our hope is that we can get law enforcement everywhere to support the promotion of literacy and to either use the programs we've started or develop their own programs," Kearney said.

Waynesboro police have developed six literacy outreach programs in the past year.

Kearney encouraged other Waynesboro officers to read in local schools. By the end of the last school year, the initiative had about 15 officers reading in about 30 classes per month, from pre-kindergarten to the fifth grade, he said. Reading to kids and handing out books lets youths see police officers in a different and positive way.

Also, Kearney hands out to local middle school students copies of the preteen Bluford Series books about urban youth learning to deal with problems in a positive way. When the students complete the ones they have, he offers the next story in the 10-book series.

The program and the books have been a surprise hit among students at Kate Collins Middle School, said David Shipp, chairman of the school's English department who teaches eighth grade.

"I've got kids who are already finished with the first one come up to me and say, 'Mr. Shipp, when is Officer Kearney coming back?'"