OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — Already with one school resource officer (SRO) at Falls-Lenox Primary School, Olmsted Falls police department recently added another at St. Mary of the Falls School.
“When we put a full-time SRO years ago in Falls-Lenox, we offered that as well to St. Mary’s — and then again last year,” Olmsted Falls Police Chief Odis B. Rogers said.
“This year, they decided to move forward with having a full-time school resource officer.”
Olmsted Falls patrolman Matt Shuster is the St. Mary of the Falls School SRO.
Olmsted Falls City Council recently approved the expenditure with the city and the Catholic school splitting the roughly $108,000 annual cost.
“At St. Mary of the Falls School, one of our highest priorities is to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” St. Mary of the Falls School Principal Annemarie A. Rajnicek said.
“As such, we hired an SRO this year first and foremost as an added level of protection to complement the safety measures we currently have in place and to further foster a sense of safety and well-being among our students.”
Both Rajnicek and Rogers echoed the same benefits of having an SRO in the building.
“We believe having an SRO in our school community will provide an opportunity for positive mentoring, education and trust building between students and law enforcement,” Rajnicek said.
Rogers added, “First, it’s enhanced safety and security at the school. It provides for immediate response to threats or intruders. Second, it acts as a deterrent, including theft and vandalism.”
The police chief noted having law-enforcement support on site during the entire school day is obviously a benefit to both the community and the school.
“Beyond that, anytime I put an officer in uniform in a positive environment with children, I’m gonna do it because I believe that we’ll reap benefits for years and years to come,” he said.