Waller ISD salutes SROs

During varsity football’s home game Oct. 20, Waller ISD recognized its five School Resource Officers (SROs). Since Waller ISD entered into its agreement with the Harris Sherriff’s Department to have four contracted Sherriff’s Deputies serve as SROs eight years ago, the District has been recognized by the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program as the safest school district in Harris County largely because of the work of the School Resource Officers.
     Today, five Sherriff’s Deputies (Boyd Bailey, Anthony Martin, Tommy Smith, Paul Straker, and Steve Underhill) serve as Waller ISD SROs. They are invaluable resources to the District and community.
     “The SROs work very hard to get to know every student and build relationships with them,” Waller ISD Assistant Superintendent Danny Twardowski said, “They are student friendly, professional, and serve as a proactive resource in our schools. We are able to serve the safety needs of our school community more efficiently and effectively since we started the SRO Program.”
     The resource officers serve as law-enforcement officers, law-related counselors, and law-related presenters. As law-enforcement officers, their primary goal is to keep the peace and make appropriate reports and arrests; as law-related counselors, they provide resource guidance to students, parents, teachers, and staff while also serving as a link to support services both inside and outside the schools; and as law-related presenters, they share special law enforcement expertise through student and staff presentations.
     The SROs serve as positive role models for students on campus and at extracurricular activities. Since their arrival at Waller ISD, discipline problems have decreased and standardized Crisis Management procedures have been implemented district-wide.
     “I want to commend the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, especially our Deputies, for their very important role in making our schools the safest in Harris County. The SRO Program is an excellent program we hope to continue for many years in the future,” Waller ISD Superintendent Richard McReavy said.
     The Waller ISD School Resource Officer Program is made possible by a combination of federal grants and local funding.