CULLMAN, Ala. – As the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office recruits additional school resource officers, Sheriff-elect Chad Whaley says his long-term plans include placing additional SROs on high school campuses, increasing tactical training and strengthening the relationships officers build with students, parents and school employees.
Whaley, who spent 12 years of his law enforcement career as an SRO, said the position requires a combination of interpersonal and tactical skills.
“A great SRO should be approachable, a good communicator, fair and consistent, as well as tactically sound,” Whaley said. “It definitely takes the right type of personality coupled with a tactical skillset.”
Whaley said his long-term goal is to increase the number of SROs assigned to the county’s larger campuses.
“Adding additional SROs to our high school campuses is a must,” Whaley said. “In our K-12 campuses, there are between 1,200 and 1,500 people on campus on an average day. The campuses are large and spread out. Two SROs on campus improves safety immediately.”
Whaley said additional staffing would also allow SROs to spend more time interacting with students and teachers rather than focusing solely on security responsibilities.
“It will also allow them to be more interactive and present throughout the school,” he said. “Our SROs will be able to be in the classroom more, helping to educate both students and faculty.”
Training will be another focus.
Whaley said SROs are expected to remain highly trained and motivated, and he plans to increase the frequency and scope of their training, including exercises with the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.
“We intend to amplify that with improved and more frequent tactical training, including incorporated training with our SWAT Team,” he said.
Whaley said preparing officers for changing threats requires continued training, cooperation with schools and a visible law enforcement presence on campuses.
“It begins with training, thrives with collaboration and ends with our presence,” Whaley said. “Our SROs have traditionally received top-notch training in order to keep our children safe. That will continue to be a priority.”
He said officers must stay current on emerging threats and technology while maintaining close relationships with those they are charged with protecting.
“Staying up to date with new trends, new dangers and new technology are all a must,” Whaley said. “The relationships being built with faculty and students keeps everyone on the same page and working toward the same goal: the safety and security of each of our campuses.”
Relationships central to SRO role
Whaley said security is only part of an SRO’s responsibility.
For many students and families, he said, a school resource officer may be their primary interaction with law enforcement.
“The relationships made with students, parents and staff are the most important duty of the SRO,” Whaley said. “That connection is what makes the difference in the bigger picture. The SRO is the only law enforcement contact that many folks will have. Their impression of LE may be entirely based on that relationship.”
That emphasis on relationships is also one reason the Sheriff’s Office is encouraging retired law enforcement officers to consider applying for SRO positions.
Whaley said employing retired officers has become increasingly common nationally and can make financial sense for both agencies and officers. More importantly, he said, veteran officers bring experience and interpersonal skills that translate well to a school environment.
“Age and experience are often good indicators of wisdom,” Whaley said. “Our retired guys have the skills and experience to make the transition into the schools seamless. Above all else, their people skills are usually excellent.”
He said the ability to communicate effectively with students, parents and school employees is among the most important qualities an SRO can possess.
School safety a collaborative effort
Whaley said the Sheriff’s Office’s school-safety efforts depend on coordination with Cullman County Schools, administrators and emergency responders.
“The overall safety of our schools has been, and will continue to be a collaborative effort,” Whaley said. “We have a great relationship with (Superintendent) Dr. (Shane) Barnette and the CCBOE, as well as all the local emergency responders.”
Whaley said communication continues throughout the school year so agencies can remain aware of potential safety issues.
Large-scale exercises involving multiple agencies and school officials have been conducted in the past, he said, and will continue.
“Large-scale trainings involving all these entities have been held in the past, and will be conducted in the future to provide real-time experience for all those who would be affected,” Whaley said.
A different side of law enforcement
Whaley described serving as an SRO as a unique law enforcement assignment that allows officers to experience aspects of the community they might not regularly encounter while working patrol or responding to calls.
“What appeals to me most about the job is the kids,” Whaley said. “From a law enforcement standpoint, SROs have the ability to positively impact students every single day.”
Traditional law enforcement work frequently puts deputies in contact with people during emergencies, crimes and difficult moments. School resource officers, Whaley said, also experience students and families during ordinary and positive moments.
“Oftentimes, law enforcement only deals with the bad; people don’t make a habit of calling 911 because they are having a great day,” Whaley said. “SROs get to see the other side, the smiling faces, the high fives and the hugs. They celebrate the schools’ victories and cry with the losses.”
Those relationships can extend beyond the school day.
“A good SRO knows they are never really off duty,” Whaley said. “Parents, students and staff will call them first – nights, weekends or holidays – and that SRO wants them to because they become family.”
Whaley also emphasized the responsibility carried by officers assigned to schools.
“A good SRO should also know that the burden is always there,” he said. “They are responsible for the safety of every student on that campus.”
He said parents send their children to school expecting them to return home safely at the end of the day.
“It is a duty that a good SRO proudly shoulders and never takes lightly,” Whaley said.
‘Let’s work together’
With another school year beginning, Whaley said keeping campuses safe cannot fall solely on SROs or the Sheriff’s Office.
“I was an SRO for 12 years of my career,” Whaley said. “It was a responsibility that I never took lightly, and I know the current Cullman County Sheriff’s Office SROs share my same passion. We will be there first and foremost to protect your kids.”
Whaley encouraged faculty members, school employees, students and parents to take active roles in identifying concerning behavior or potential threats.
“Let’s work together to spot potential dangers,” Whaley said. “Listen and talk with the kids about what is going on. Actively look for potential threats and dangers. Parents, hold your kids accountable; kids, hold your friends accountable. Teachers and staff, be the extra eyes and ears for your SROs.”
Whaley said cooperation among law enforcement, schools and families remains essential to creating safe campuses.
“Together, we can give our kids the best school year possible,” he said.
