Counties Bolstering School Resource Officer Programs

Report by NYSAC Staff

In the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, several county sheriffs across New York State are increasing the presence of School Resource Officers (SROs) and calling for additional resources for the program.

Shortly after the shooting in Uvalde, Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton told Spectrum News 1 that implementing effective school safety measures is one of his top priorities.

The Oswego County Sheriff’s department’s SRO program launched in 2019 and includes 13 officers to cover Oswego’s nine school districts.

Sheriff Deputy Michael Gaita, who oversees the Oswego County program said, “What these guys do and what we drill into them is, basically, building relationships. You want to build a relationship. You want to provide security and peace of mind. And when you do those three things, now you start to humanize the police. They approach us. They hug us. We walk to lunch with them.” In addition to placing an armed officer in every school building in the county, Sheriff Hilton is seeking additional upgrades to the county SRO program.

“We’re working on a policy that will enhance the school districts, or the SROs, in the school districts. I'll be seeking funding from both the schools and from public funding to bolster this program,” he said.

County SRO programs date back to 1996. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office became the first law enforcement agency to introduce the SRO program to New York State. Since its inception, highly trained uniformed deputy sheriffs have been assigned to middle, junior and senior high schools, as well as one elementary school in Putnam County.

SROs are typically certified law enforcement officers who receive hours of specialized training and undergo a lengthy screening process.

In Putnam County, SROs are assigned full-time to a particular school and work closely with individual teachers to create special programs and presentations that help increase student awareness and understanding of laws and personal safety.

In addition to rural counties like Oswego, urban and suburban counties like Albany are also stepping up their SRO programs.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple announced that the county would be adding extra deputies to Albany County schools.

Sheriff Apple told WRGB News, “These SROs are more than an armed security person. They’re a person that can get in there and build a friendship with kids. They can see the kids or hear the stories of kids that are getting bullied and maybe befriend that kid and bring them in and see if there are any issues that are going on before something horrible happens.”

Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton is working with several school districts to increase the number of school resource officers in the county. Photo by Payne Horning / WRVO News