Summer may be here but School Resource Officer Shawn Smith remains on active duty. For the past two months he's been out patrolling the streets. And, like students, teachers and administrators, he has a lot to do before classes start.
Smith is working on PowerPoint presentations for health class lectures on alcohol and drug awareness and teen dating violence as well as presentations for other classes on landmark court cases such as Miranda v. Arizona, in which the Supreme Court ruled that suspects must be advised of their rights.
"This position is so much more than fighting crime within schools," explains Smith. "I believe that because of this position I am acting as a mentor for the students. I have had students approach me and state 'You know, I don't really like cops, but you're cool.' I feel that I am closing the gap between today's youth and the police profession."
Smith's been the SRO since September 2006. He walks school hallways in civilian wear, equipped with a sidearm, pepper spray, handcuffs and radio. The door to his office at the Middle/High School is left open to both students and faculty, anyone in need of assistance.
"The biggest thing is getting to know them by their first names," he says of the students. "Lunch time is one of the best ways to do it."
Smith is also present at after-school events such as parent/teacher nights, dances and athletic games, and he's served as a chaperone on field trips to the Museum of Science and the Adirondacks.
The SRO has also been involved with a number of school safety projects. At the Winthrop School, for instance, Smith brought students on a mini field trip to Central Street to explain crosswalk safety. And, he organized last spring's eye-opening mock prom accident at the Middle/High School parking lot. He received support from Paul's Auto & Truck Services, MedFlight and Morris Funeral Home in staging the faux disaster.
"I had a lot of kids after that telling me how they were getting into their cars and putting their seat belts on. I couldn't have done it without the help of High School Principal Barry Cahill and the drama teachers," Smith says.
Smith has worked closely with school administrators and Sheriff's Department officers during lockdowns and drug searches.
"We've had K-9 units come in for routine searches at all of the schools," Smith says. "The nice thing is they didn't find anything."
Before the school day begins, Smith checks local police logs to see if students are involved in any criminal activity. If so, he notifies the appropriate school administration. Captains could lose their captaincy if they're found in possession of alcohol or drugs.
"I'll be looking at these during the few weeks before school with kids starting to practice for sports."
What if the schools didn't have a resource officer
Smith's position as SRO was in jeopardy before the passing of the Proposition 2 1/2 override in May.
"A lot of the students told me they hoped I'd be here for next year," he says. "If the override hadn't passed I wouldn't be."
Smith said that without an officer on guard, schools would be more susceptible to outside forces. One of his main duties is monitoring traffic and student drop offs in the morning. And, Smith says, he locks 95 percent of doors at the Middle/High School and checks hallways for discarded backpacks or other materials that could pose a danger.
In addition, having an officer on site means issues that come up at the schools can be dealt with in a timely manner.
"If a major event arose such as a fatal car accident tying up major roadways or domestic violence situations, our attention is directed at that," Smith says. "We'd be distracted and not able to get back to the schools as quickly if something was happening there."
Smith looks forward to his third year as School Resource Officer.
"I've gotten a lot of great feedback from everyone," Smith says. "I really do love the position. It's a good feeling waking up in the morning for work."
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