SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
The Village Police Department began providing a Police Officer in Fairless Schools shortly after the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools were annexed into the Village of Brewster in 2006. Initially, legislation was approved in December of 2006 to provide one Police Officer for a total of fifteen hours per week in the three schools. The Brewster PD used several Officers to fill this post in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and in 2010 Officer Benny Truman became the designated Officer in the Schools. As time passed, with the approval of the Village Council, the Mayor increased those hours to twenty-four per week and then 32 hours per week to address a growing need for assistance by a Police Officer in Fairless Schools. In August of 2016 the Officer assigned to Fairless, Officer Benny Truman, completed School Resource Officer Training and certification, as well as A.L.I.C.E. training and certification. In November of 2016, Brewster voters approved a 0.2% Income Tax measure for five years that provided funding that enables Brewster to provide one School Resource Officer in the three Fairless Schools for eight hours a day for the 180 day school year.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ROLES
SROs are valuable resources for their schools. They are trained to fulfill three roles.
First and foremost SROs are law enforcement officers whose primary purpose is to "keep the peace" in their schools so that students can learn and teachers can teach;
Secondly, SROs are law-related counselors/law-related education instructors who provide guidance on law-related issues to students, school administrators, and parents. They act as a link to support services both inside and outside the school environment and provide schools with an additional educational resource by sharing their expertise in the classroom.
Lastly, beyond these identified roles, and perhaps most importantly, SROs are positive role models for many students who are not exposed to such role models in today's society. The SRO presence in the school sends a strong message that violence is not acceptable.
ALICE Training K-12 Program
Each school day, our nation's schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary students in public and nonpublic schools. Families and communities expect schools to keep their children and safe from all threats including human-caused emergencies such as crimes of violence. In collaboration with local government and community stakeholders, schools can take steps to plan and prepare to mitigate these threats. Every school Emergency Operating Procedure (EOP) should include courses of action that will describe how students and staff can most effectively respond to an Active Shooter situation to minimize the loss of life, and teach and train on these practices. No single response fits all active shooter situations however, making sure each individual knows his or her options for response and can react decisively will save valuable time.
In 2013, the US Department of Education spent considerable resources researching active shooting events. Their findings have resulted in a change in guidance. ALICE Training protocols are used almost exclusively in all-new guidance. Following current, federal and state recommendations is a major step in limiting a school district's liability by demonstrating they have met today's standard of care.
Brewster Police Officer Benny Truman is certified in A.L.I.C.E. training and in this capacity has provided training to Fairless faculty and students, and will continue to do so. Brewster Police Chief Keith Creter is an integral part of these SRO and A.L.I.C.E. efforts in Fairless Schools and participates in some aspects almost on a daily basis.