As the new school year approaches, school resource officers (SROs) and educators in Wake County are actively preparing to better ensure the safety and security of students on campus. A recent SRO summit, held at Millbrook High School, brought together law enforcement officers, school principals, and security administrators from across 82 schools, including all high schools in the district. This annual convening serves as a platform to discuss the evolution of school safety measures and the adaptation of SRO roles to current challenges.
One prominent theme at this year's summit was the transition towards a community policing model within schools. "They're going from a police function to working at school. That's a very different environment, so their thing is really 'how do I come in here and form those relationships with kids where they will come to me and bring me information?'" Kendrick Scott, Senior Director of security, told ABC11. The goal is to foster an environment where students can freely approach SROs as trusted mentors and confidants, ultimately aiding in the early detection and prevention of incidents.
In addition to promoting relationship-building, the summit introduced new technology to enhance campus security. The RAVE Panic Button app, initially rolled out in February, enables staff to swiftly alert authorities during an emergency, potentially locking down a school within seconds. According to a WRAL report, Sgt. Tom Brienzi, a school resource officer, believes in the app's capability to arm and better prepare them, though he doesn't think it will drastically change existing procedures. Additionally, the district's security team is set to gain full app access this year, along with supplementary features.
A pressing issue discussed was the impact of social media threats on school safety. "The social media threat has probably really the biggest thing. It's the most frequent thing that's happening that takes up a lot of our time," CBS17 quoted Kendrick Scott. In response, the Wake County Public Schools are now leveraging the Say Something app, a platform that allows students to text in concerning information. Scott emphasized the importance of adapting to the preferred communication methods of the students, saying, "Texting is their thing, so we've had to adapt how we receive information from them," in an interview with CBS17.
As these officers return to campus this fall, their ongoing education and the integration of new security tools are intended to provide them with better resources to safeguard the well-being of students and staff.
