The City Council’s recent decision to fully fund the Police Department’s school resource officer was the right one.
It was the right one because the SRO is making a difference in our community. We, here at The New Era, pay quite a bit of attention to the activities of our local police force and that includes monitoring radio traffic generated by the department.
Speaking anecdotally, we’ve noticed over the past few years what seems to be a more effective response to problems involving youths, particularly in and around schools. We’ve noticed less reports of fights among youth. We’ve seen the SROs, first John Trahan and now Chris Wingo, interacting with kids.
The presence of the SRO gives youths, particularly those with little positive instruction and support at home, a chance to actually meet a cop in a positive situation and the opportunity to develop a relationship with an officer who isn’t sitting one seat over in a patrol car. That has to have positive value.
The SRO also can respond quickly to problems on the campuses and on the streets that involve youths because that is his job. When he gets there, chances are the youngsters involved in whatever is happening are likely to recognize him because he’s been to their school. In the case of Sweet Home High School students, he’s there almost daily, since he has an office on campus.
The SRO works in conjunction with the Positive Behavior Support system used on the campuses, which teaches and enforces rules regarding respect for others, personal responsibility and safe behavior. No doubt, PBS is part of the reason for improved behavior on local campuses, but having the SRO around doesn’t hurt either.
The council’s decision is right because the threat of lost funding to the SRO position is a community issue, not limited to the school district budget shortfall. These are our kids, our schools, our streets. Although the school district extends far beyond the city limits, what kids learn and how they behave in our schools affects city residents immensely and will into the future as well.
The SRO plays a clear role in that learning process and therefore his presence helps the community. In the midst of what has turned out to be a severe recession, this is not the time, particularly in a small community like ours, to quibble too heavily over who pays for what. In the end, it’s all our tax money.
We appreciate the fact that the City Council has recognized that and we applaud its members for their discernment and wisdom in deciding that the SRO needs to stay.