OAKWOOD — Late last month, a South Carolina school resource officer lost his job after he became involved in an altercation with a student in a crowded classroom. The outcry has been loud on both sides - one side saying the officer went too far when he tossed the female student to the floor, the other side saying the officer was forced into the situation by the unruly student.
Wherever the truth lies in South Carolina, those in charge of the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program for the Hall County School System say the key to success for their program has been the partnership forged between educators and law enforcement. With the two agencies working together, schools are safer and students have additional mentors in the SROs who patrol the school halls each day, according to SRO Coordinator Lt. Earl Roach.
The Hall County program consists of 14 full-time officers, one for each middle and high school in the district, and Lt. Roach as coordinator. Elementary schools are not staffed by SROs, but Lt. Roach said sheriff's deputies are encouraged to make their patrols around elementary schools, and when possible, they're asked to use school parking lots to complete paperwork - just to ensure there's a law enforcement presence.
AccessWDUN's B.J. Williams and David Cook had the opportunity this week to shadow Hall County's newest school resource officer Dep. Stan Watson. Watson has 25 years of patrol experience, but he recently applied for and was selected as the new SRO for West Hall Middle School. Since it was his first day on the job, Dep. Watson was spending his day introducing himself to the students. But, AccessWDUN spoke with Lt. Roach and with Sgt. Seth Day, a long-time SRO for Hall County Schools.
Both said while school safety is job one for the SRO, building relationships with students runs a very close second.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/11/348787/video