Local 12 News Reporter Jeff Hirsh says its ironic that at a time when school security is a major issue nationwide-a layer of school security in Cincinnati may be disappearing because of money or rather, lack of money.
The school resource officer is part teacher, part counselor, part psychologist, part minister, and oh yeah, part cop. The job title-school resource officer- is accurate. "As school resource officers we have a lot of resources we can give the parent so the child won't get into any trouble. We try to stop it before it starts."
Curtis Walker is one of the city's ten school resource officers. He covers a dozen schools on the west side ... public, parochial, and charter. City Manager Milton Dohoney's budget eliminates the SRO positions ... putting them back on the streets as 66 other cops get laid off.
School leaders hope the SRO's are not cut. "Our school resource officer has been with us for years. He knows the dynamics of the families and he's there to answer questions and to calm the families down as well."
It's not simply an eight hour job. Officer Walker received a phone call the other night from parent worried about her child. "I did advise the parent we'd get some resources, maybe go back to the school and get her in a mentoring program or even some therapy or something like that."
"He has a way of calming a student down and dealing with students who have harder issues, who want to make positive changes in their lives. He follows up with these kids and helps them get jobs. It's not just having a police presence. It's a presence that the students trust and I think even changes their attitudes about the police force in general."
Of course, SRO's are police officers. As we were leaving Aiken High School, Officer Walker had to leave quickly to deal with a fight.
Cincinnati Public Schools do have unarmed security guards. However, a school spokesperson says the system cannot afford to hire armed officers , and if the SRO's are cut, the schools will have to call 9-1-1- or the local police district just like everybody else.
The city manager's budget is just a proposal. City council has final say and could make changes.
Source- WKRC