CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee Board of Education met on Wednesday, July 6, to act on several personnel issues, as well as the SRO agreement with the Village of Camden.
Preble Shawnee School District will receive a School Resource Officer (SRO) from the police department of the Village of Camden. The SRO will be held accountable under regular law enforcement chain of command, as stated in the agreement between the school and the village, and will be held accountable to the Police Chief of Camden.
The presence of the SRO is threefold, being utilized for law enforcement, crime prevention and legal education. The school is advised to make use of the SRO’s extensive training to teach students
According to the agreement, “The presence of the School Resource Officer in the classroom provides both subject matter and safety resources which directly contribute to the educational and security climate of the school. School Resource Officers provide educators with an opportunity to build links between academic achievement and a real-world profession. School Resource Officers visit classrooms and provide a variety of presentations both formal and informal. These presentations give vivid and tangible examples of fundamental academic skills such as science, math, civics and language arts being employed within a profession. School Resource Officers bring to life in the classroom concepts and ideas critical to students as they develop into responsible adults and enter society. Examples of these presentations include the following:
•Traffic Law Overview,
•Criminal Law Overview,
•Crime Prevention,
•Suicide Prevention,
•Conflict Resolution,
•Personal and Social Responsibility,
•Gang Prevention.”
“Whether talking to students in the hallway or delivering a presentation in the classroom, School Resource Officers are embedded in the educational fabric within the school. School Resource Officers are expected to be proactive in creating educational situations and school administrators are encouraged to leverage this resource,” states the agreement.
According to the agreement, the roles of the SRO will be extensive, “Role in Locker, Vehicle, Personal and Other Searches: When requested, the School Resource Officer may assist school administration in searches of person(s), property or vehicles when there is an articulated concern such as the following:
•Student may reasonably be considered a threat to assault the searcher.
•Student may attempt to escape in a situation in which the student would be a danger to themselves or a danger to others.
•Student may possess a firearm, knife, or some other deadly weapon, a suspicion that may be supported on the slightest articulated indication, including conclusions drawn as a result of teaching or law enforcement experience.”
“The School Resource Officer may perform searches independent of the school administration only under the existing provisions of Ohio Revised Code, relevant case law and the Camden Police Department policy and procedure.”
“Role in Critical Incidents: The School Resource Officer will be familiar with the emergency operations manual of the Preble Shawnee Local Schools. During critical incidents occurring when the School Resource Officer is present, the School Resource Officer will normally act as a liaison between school administration, Police Department personnel and other emergency resources, if practical.”
“Role in Truancy Issues: Truancy will be handled by school personnel. Normally, the School Resource Officer will not take an active role in the tracking of truants. The School Resource Officer will act as a liaison between school and law enforcement personnel, should law enforcement involvement become necessary due to safety concerns”
“Role in Interrogation: SROs may participate in the questioning of a student about conduct that could result in criminal charges only after informing the student of his or her Miranda rights in age-appropriate language and informing the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s). Parents/guardians should be allowed sufficient time to arrive at school to be present for interrogation. If there is insufficient time or the parents/guardians are unable to attend an interrogation, a District administrator shall attend.”
“Role in Crisis Planning: SRO will act as a liaison between the Camden Police Department and Preble Shawnee Local Schools. Each entity will be involved in updates and creation of new Crisis Plans. Consistency throughout the district should be adhered to. Lock down drills shall be included as part of the District’s preparedness plan. The Camden Police Department shall be included in the creation of lock down procedures so that first responders are familiar with procedures. Lock down procedures should be trauma-informed and consistent throughout the district.”
Tonina Lamanna has been appointed as Preble Shawnee School District’s SRO, assigned to a two year contract effective Aug. 15.
In other business:
The board received recommendations from Superintendent Todd Bowling and approved the employment of Casandra Lannich as a third-grade instructor in the elementary school and Daniel Christinanson as a building sub for Preble Shawnee Middle School.
The board also accepted the resignation of Rachel Blair from the elementary school.
The Preble Shawnee Board of Education meeting is a public meeting, held at the Preble Shawnee High School, located at 5495 Somers-Gratis Road, the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.
