GREENSBORO, N.C. — If your child attends a school in Guilford County, they'll have to get used to seeing a new School Resource Officer (SRO). Friday, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers annouced plans to reassign SROs to different schools beginning this academic school year. Guilford County School students return to classes on Monday, August 26.
Rogers acknowledges that SRO’s have been extremely effective in building relationships with students. Relationships that help foster a positive exchange of information between officers and students. We all know that SRO’s serve not only as law enforcement officers, but as mentors, which can make a huge impact on students' success. In a news release, Sheriff Rogers said it is his desire to reach every student and create a positive change in the relationships between students and law enforcement officers. The reassignment of SRO’s within the county schools is the first step in our efforts to achieve this goal.
Rogers says the greatest priority is to provide a safe environment for students to learn. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is committed to school safety and feels that every student and faculty member should be able to focus on learning, without fear for their personal safety, he said. The reassignment of SRO’s is another step in that direction, as it seeks to prevent officers from becoming too comfortable or complacent in their environments. To provide the greatest possible security for our schools, officers must remain vigilant at all times. As with any position in law enforcement, over-exposure to the same environment can often lure officers into a false sense of security. Additionally, officers who have served multiple years in more active schools, are at higher risk for burnout and fatigue.
