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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Police Department plans to use state funding to improve school resource officer (SRO) programs and school safety features.
The funding comes from the statewide school resource officer program grant, meant to help schools place one full-time officer in every school.
All 95 counties in the state have received funding, with about $98 million already distributed.
The supervisor over Johnson City’s SRO unit, Sgt. Jeff Jenkins, said there is already an officer at every school. Science Hill High School has two SROs currently.
Jenkins said the plan is to put the funding toward increasing safety for students and staff and to continue the important work they do every day.
Under Jenkin’s command is Officer Erik Hilton, the SRO at Towne Acres Elementary School. His daily routine consists of checking the doors and perimeters of the school, but it also involves opening cracker bags and milk cartoons in the lunch room.
Hilton also teaches an after-school etiquette class to students, called Solid Foundations.
“That’s the idea of the solid foundations, is building those foundations early in hopes that they will carry through middle school and high school,” Hilton said.
Hilton has been an SRO for 17 years and also helps with police explorer and junior academy. As an SRO, he gets to mentor kids and watch them grow, an experience he said you don’t always get in other forms of law enforcement.
“So, I think it’s selfish in a little bit that you can see what you’re doing and how you’re helping,” Hilton said.
Jenkins is an SRO at Topper Academy and came into work with a surprise from students and staff for SRO Appreciation Day: a thank you card and a specially printed sweatshirt.
“It’s nice to see all of the extra effort that you put in; they appreciate it,” Jenkins said.
The state funding will help “harden the target”, as Jenkins calls it, by adding ballistic film to windows, securing foyers, and adding cameras. But, these are all elements that are only part of the everyday job.
“Our first thing is to be here to prevent something,” Jenkins said. “But, what we do on a daily basis, the bridges that we mend and the relationships that we build with these kids, that’s way more important.”
Jenkins said the funding will also help further train his officers. Plus, there’s talk of adding a third SRO to Science Hill High School. Jenkins is also working to take his officers to a national SRO conference for the first time.
