Foley, Ala. — Recently, Chief David Wilson, Lt. Charles Massey, and Officer Labron Williams visited each school in Foley and met with the principals and their staff. Wilson then introduced Williams as the new, much anticipated, School Resource Officer (SRO) for the upcoming school year.

Prior to the summer break, Williams shadowed Daphne Police SRO’s for one week for training. He then attended formal, national certification training as a School Resource Officer.

Williams got a quick start on his new job as an SRO since all of Baldwin County sent summer school students to the Foley High and Middle Schools.

Effective schooling requires a safe and orderly environment in which learning can occur. This SRO program has been made possible by the support of the City of Foley, the Foley Police Department, and the Foley Public Schools.

Wilson said, “The partnership we have with our schools is an extremely important one. The assignment of a police officer full time shows the level of commitment we have and how much we value our schools, teachers, and children. This commitment was supported whole heartedly by all the Principals, Mayor and City Council and would not have been possible without it.”

The Foley Police Department is currently coordinating a rough draft Memorandum of Understanding with the schools but overall the School Resource Officer program provides school administrators and staff with law enforcement resources and expertise they need to maintain safety, order, and discipline in the school environment. The FPD is working closely with all Foley public schools to ensure that no student’s right to receive education is abridged by violence, disruption or bullies.

The program involves the assignment of a sworn police officer to the public schools on a full time basis.

The SRO is considered an active member of the administrative team in his assigned school(s) but reports to the chain of command within the police department. The SRO provides a visible deterrent to crime and a positive representative of the police department to students and staff. The SRO shall also assist with training for the school administration in law enforcement and related matters. Information about crime trends and changes in laws relevant to schools shall be disseminated to the school administrative staff to assist them in effectively establishing and maintaining safe school environments.

The SRO may also become involved with the school’s curriculum and provide instruction that will enhance the student’s understanding of the police mission and the responsibilities of citizenship. SRO’s shall be responsible for monitoring the social and cultural environment to identify emerging youth problems so that early intervention strategies can be coordinated.

SROs will also make formal presentations to, or participate in, school-based community organization meetings such as Parent Teacher Association and School Advisory Council meetings. Participation may also be made in other activities such as panel discussions, mentoring programs, and community coalitions or task forces

The first SRO will concentrate on the Foley High School and Middle School with regular visits to the elementary and intermediate schools.

Wilson added, “The children at the middle school are just reaching the age where they are forming their impressions on many things to include life views. We want to be there to assist the teachers anyway we can in reaching these children to have positive life views and start out on the right foot as they develop. The same principle applies to the high school, we want to deter any criminal acts or acts that lead to school violence or a bad school environment. We also want to be there to get to know the kids and help the teachers mentor the kids towards a productive and positive life. This is a serious task and one that we are committed to doing.”

Wilson concluded, saying, “We hope to add more SRO’s in the future but the school system would need to meet the department in the middle on some of that. The economy is rough right now so it is not a time to be asking for additional funding from the schools. We are going to get the job done until we can get some more assistance from the school system or maybe from some grants. We have been touched at the very warm reception we have received from each and every Foley school. We are all glad to be working closer together.”