The School Resource Officer Program is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and the community to offer law related educational programs in the schools in an effort to reduce crime, drug abuse, violence, and provide a safe school environment.      

In addition to the deputies teaching the DARE Program the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office also provides School Resource Officers in several of the county’s public schools. In cooperation with Tazewell County Public Schools the deputies assigned to work in the schools have received specialized training to include identifying with characteristics of adolescent developmental stages, search and seizure, school law, law enforcement related education, the Class Action curriculum, and precipitating factors that contribute to violence in the school community. Other training the School Resource Officers have include specialization in drug recognition and training in crisis management in schools.

The proactive and effective School Resource Officer Program is one component of the partnership that commits public safety personnel to the safety and security of the school community. The central mission of the law enforcement–educator partnership is student success. When students succeed, the entire community succeeds. Student success contributes to community safety: students who experience success and make positive contributions within their schools become productive citizens in the larger community.

Our School Resource Officers have become a very important part of the schools they work in. They not only have become a resource for students, but for teachers and parents as well. The School Resource Officers also spend a great deal of their time working with other crime prevention and community programs such as Neighborhood Watch, TRIAD, Class Action, Amber Alert, DARE, Substance Abuse Prevention, CADRE, and more.