Miranda H. Lewis
Carter County Times
The push for increased school safety continues throughout Kentucky, prompting the Carter County Board of Education to establish its own police department.
Building on the 2019 School Safety and Resiliency Act (Senate Bill 1), the passage of House Bill (HB) 63 by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2021 requires schools in Kentucky to have at least one certified School Resource Officer (SRO) on every K-12 campus.
According to Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.441, an SRO is defined as “a sworn law enforcement officer who has specialized training to work with youth at a school site.”
Correspondingly, amendments to KRS 148.4414 and provisions of KRS 158.4414 have given school districts the ability to form and implement their own police departments.
The discussion involving the implementation of a school-based law enforcement force in Carter County was introduced in December. Superintendent Dr. Paul Green noted that this would be an opportunity for the board to create its own policies for officers within the school system.
Forty-two schools across the Commonwealth have formed their own policing agencies since the 2022-23 school year, and now Carter County is joining their ranks. Officers within the school system are nothing new to the county, though.
Carter County has had an SRO stationed within the district for more than 20 years, since shortly after the shooting at East Carter High School in 1993.
Although the title has fluctuated over the years, the purpose remains the same with the main difference being SROs are now formally recognized as a specialized law enforcement branch.
SROs were originally introduced in schools as a way to facilitate relationships between youth and local law enforcement. What was initially intended to be mentorship has since shifted to crime prevention, with an emphasis on security.
After addressing startup costs and budgetary concerns, members of the Carter County Board of Education agreed to take things a step further by moving forward with the formation of the Carter County District Police Department during a regular board meeting in February.
While the district has great partnerships with police departments in Olive Hill and Grayson, Green confirmed, “We have been approved as our own department, (and) having our own force gives us much greater autonomy and flexibility.”
Per HB 63, the school board can appoint police officers and other employees, supply distinctive uniforms for those officers, and designate and operate emergency vehicles.
“We have purchased police cruisers and are in the process of getting all the necessary equipment,” he said. “We are on track to begin with the 2023-24 school year.”
Following protocol as an originating agency, the district applied for an Originating Case Identifier (ORI). Upon approval they were assigned an ORI number from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As a result of receiving an agency identification number, the District Police Department is now recognized as a police force – and a separate entity from surrounding departments.
Green reiterated that this is a major step in ensuring the safety and security of Carter County schools.
Officers will serve to the extent authorized by the board of education as their presence in schools is a reminder and assurance of immediate response.
As a result of the School Safety and Resilience Act, SRO training has been updated and expanded to better serve today’s schoolchildren and administrators.
“Three levels of training are now offered to active, certified law enforcement serving as school resource officers. All SROs are required to take the SRO 1 in-service course within one year from their assignment date. SRO 2 and SRO 3 will be needed as in-service for the following two years,” according to the Kentucky Center for School Safety.
The Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training specifies that, “SRO training includes new topics such as working with special-needs students, mental health awareness, and trauma-informed action. Firearms and defensive tactics refresher training will also be included.”
In addition to prior policing experience, SROs are required to obtain an additional 120 hours of training to meet the guidelines of the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Office of Criminal Justice, and other agencies.Â
Senate Bill 1 also requires all SROs to complete forty hours of annual in-service training,
Officers will collaborate with teachers and administrators within the school system to maintain a safe environment.
According to Green, the district plans to have two full time positions as well as part-time positions.
“We will have one dedicated officer for each side of the county (same as in the past); however, officers will (now) be able to work in any school,” he said.
Officers will enforce criminal laws based upon the KRS as they have the same statutory powers, privileges, and immunities as any other officer in the state; however, Green noted, their authority is limited to school-related issues.
Other duties of SROs include emergency preparedness training, participation in instructional activities, and deterrence of criminal and/or disruptive activities.
R. D. Porter, Chief of Police, has been an SRO for twenty years, beginning his tenure with the Carter County school system in 2002.
Porter shared that, “providing the safest learning environment for students and staff,” is top priority.
He also spoke on the importance of risk management by being a positive role model, emphasizing his commitment to building relationships with students.
“In order to be successful, an SRO has to be involved with the kids,” said Porter. “Providing programs and building relationships with students is key.”
“To get the most out of our program, our officers have to be active, and they have to know the students,” he added.
Porter is hopeful that the department will grow over the next few years as he explained that expansion will lead to more officers and an increased opportunity to offer additional programs.
Although he noted that it will be a learning process, Porter hopes that the connections made will shape how students view law enforcement for years to come.
Porter has been collaborating with members of the Carter County Fiscal Court and the Director of Carter County E911, Joe Lambert, to add the newly developed department to the county’s 911 system.
Carter County schools own their own radio frequency but needed the ability to expand their reach in case of an emergency.
Now that all parties have reached a memorandum of understanding involving dispatch services everything is in place for the district police department to be implemented, effective with the upcoming school year starting Monday, August 14.
Contact the writer at miranda@cartercountytimes.com
