School Resource Officers
 
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O'Fallon

School Resource Officers (SRO)

The School Resource Officer (SRO) program was started in O’Fallon in the spring of 1997 through a cooperative effort between the O’Fallon Police Department and the Ft. Zumwalt School District.

An SRO is a law enforcement officer whose primary assignment is within the local schools for the purpose of:

  • Enforcement
  • Law-related education
  • Counseling
  • Mentoring students

Officers presently assigned to the SRO program are as follows:

Fort Zumwalt North High – Officer Nick Valenti nvalenti@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5421
Fort Zumwalt West High – Officer Tim Bateman tbateman@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-0300
Fort Zumwalt Hope High – Officer Andy Lubiewski alubiewski@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5300
Wentzville Liberty High – Officer Will Stearns wstearns@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5848
Fort Zumwalt North and West Middle – Officer Lisa Sutter lsutter@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5833
Fort Zumwalt South Middle – Officer Dave Pollard dpollard@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5777
Wentzville Frontier Middle – Officer Tyler Northrup tnorthrup@ofallonmo.gov 636-379-5709

What is the SRO program?

The SRO program is based on a philosophy that the School Resource Officer is an educator in safety and law-related issues, a law-related counselor, a resource to the school administration and, of course, a law enforcement officer. The officer, while in school, becomes involved in a variety of functions aimed at prevention of violence and crime.

Each School Resource Officer receives training specific to their position in the schools. They attend a 40-hour Basic School Resource Officer Training as well as continuing education in school related issues. The O'Fallon Police Department SRO's are all members of the Missouri School Resource Officers Assocation and attend an annual training held each summer.

The SRO is an active, high profile police officer. The SRO assists school staff within the school and campus area in an effort to detect and deter any unruly, delinquent or criminal activity. SRO's take reports on incidents that happen on school property and investigate them. Incidents being investigated at the school can result in an informational report, a summons or an arrest.

The SRO also provides a link between the police department and the student community along with teaching classes about the law and community issues. There are many excellent opportunities for role-modeling and mentoring as well. In 2004, the SRO program expanded into the Ft. Zumwalt Alternative High School (Hope High) and St. Dominic High School, a local private school. This expansion was based on invitations from the respective administrators and their desire to have an officer present in their schools. One officer was assigned and shares time between the schools. He also acts as liaison officer with the Living Word Christian High School, located on Tom Ginnever Ave.