DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday morning, Jeffco Public Schools and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released a joint statement addressing the community’s questions about the School Resource Officer program.
“Our commitment to safety and security in Jeffco schools is unwavering,” Superintendent Tracy Dorland said in a press release. “Jeffco Public Schools does not employ SROs. Instead, through intergovernmental agreements, our local law enforcement partners, like JCSO, provide SROs to serve in our schools and our district now pays for half of this cost. We are proud of our strong partnership with law enforcement, including our shared commitment to a robust SRO program that supports our students and staff.”
The school district and sheriff’s office explained how the staffing of SROs works in Jefferson County.
With their partnership with the Intergovernmental Agreement, 14 Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers are assigned to 12 middle schools and high schools, which includes Evergreen High School, “as staffing allows.”
Officers will be designated to schools, including:
- Chatfield Senior High School
- Columbine High School
- Conifer High School
- D’Evelyn Jr/Sr High School
- Dakota Ridge High School
- Deer Creek Middle School
- Drake Middle School
- Evergreen High School
- Falcon Bluffs Middle School
- Ken Caryl Middle School
- Manning K-8
- Summit Ridge Middle School
The joint statement comes after concerns were raised about why an officer was not on school grounds at the time of the shooting at Evergreen High School last week. During an Evergreen Parent-Teachers-Students Association meeting less than 24 hours before the shooting, parents raised questions about why their school did not have a full-time school resource officer.
The sheriff’s office said last week that the school’s full-time SRO was out on medical leave, while part-time deputies were assigned to the area and took turns covering it. The deputy who was assigned to the school at the time of the shooting had just left to respond to a nearby crash a couple of hours prior. This is a routine practice for SROs and was done within protocol, the sheriff’s office said.
One parent told FOX31 last week that her daughter was surprised to find out that her school even had an SRO, as she reported never having seen one at the high school.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said earlier this week that a full-time school resource officer would be assigned to Evergreen High School when students return to campus.
The statement on Wednesday said that the SROs operate in roles outside of traditional law enforcement, with the officers building relationships with students and staff, serving as mentors and identifying and seeking out needs to create a safe environment at the respective schools.
While the goal is to have at least one full-time officer at each school in unincorporated Jefferson County, law enforcement resource limitations prevent that from becoming a reality. However, those 14 SROs are complemented by 145 Department of School Safety staff members, including security officers, patrol officers and dispatch, the statement said.
“We know that many communities across the nation are facing a shortage of law enforcement personnel and budget constraints, and we are not immune to these challenges,” said JCSO Sheriff Reggie Marinelli. “Our shared goal has always been to have at least one full-time SRO in every middle and high school, which requires substantial financial support and a sufficient number of qualified deputies. No doubt there is a need — we have been and continue to work together to strategically staff these critical positions. We will remain committed to hiring the very best deputies for our agency and our community. I remain steadfast in fighting for the funding our students deserve.”
The joint statement said that staff and SROs will participate in continuous training and will foster open communication with the community, to work together and ensure that schools create an environment that allows students to learn, thrive and feel safe.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
