WENTWORTH, N.C.-- Sheriff Sam Page and Rockingham County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rodney Shotwell are currently discussing the idea starting an armed Volunteer School Safety Resource Officer Program to further increase safety within our schools.
"We have volunteer firefighters, we have volunteer rescue squads -- and those programs work. Why can't a volunteer program like which was set aside by the Legislature in 2013 do the same thing? To protect and save lives. Our kids. Our teachers," said Sheriff Sam Page.
The superintendent at Rockingham County Schools admits that when the law originally came out he was hesitant, but he and the sheriff both agree the time to act is now.
You can never be too vigilant with safety, and our teachers need to worry about teaching. I need to take that burden off of them," said Superintendent Dr. Rodney Shotwell.
"I don't think we have a choice. I don't think we have a lot of options. When it comes to protecting our children, we should do everything we can do to protect our children in our schools," said Sheriff Sam Page.
North Carolina law does allow sheriff's offices and police departments to establish such programs, which came about after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The Sheriff says he would like this program in place by the start of the 2018 school year.
Any move like this would have to be approved by the School Board, but both the Sheriff, and the Superintendent say they expect they would get approval.
Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page released this statement about the idea:
"This program is still in the development stage at this point", said Sheriff Sam Page, "but I have had some good discussions with Dr. Shotwell about it. If established, this program would act an armed force multiplier to help protect our children and teachers in Rockingham County Schools against any persons that might seek to do them harm. Our children are our future and I believe we must do everything we can to protect them."
FULL TEXT OF THE LAW:
Pursuant to North Carolina § 162-26, a Sheriff may establish volunteer school safety resource officer program (first established in 2014 in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown Connecticut and later revised in 2017):
(a) The sheriff may establish a volunteer school safety resource officer program to provide nonsalaried special deputies to serve as school safety resource officers in public schools. To be a volunteer in the program, a person must have prior experience as either (i) a sworn law enforcement officer or (ii) a military police officer with a minimum of two years' service. If a person with experience as a military police officer is no longer in the armed services, the person must also have an honorable discharge. A program volunteer must receive training on research into the social and cognitive development of elementary, middle, and high school children and must also meet the selection standards and any additional criteria established by the sheriff.
(b) Each volunteer shall report to the sheriff and shall work under the direction and supervision of the sheriff or the sheriff's designee when carrying out the volunteer's duties as a school safety resource officer. No volunteer may be assigned to a school as a school safety resource officer until the volunteer has updated or renewed the volunteer's law enforcement training and has been certified by the North Carolina Sheriff's Education and Training Standards Commission as meeting the educational and firearms proficiency standards required of persons serving as special deputy sheriffs. A person selected by the sheriff to serve as a volunteer under this section shall have the power of arrest while performing official duties as a volunteer school safety resource officer.
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