SPRINGVILLE - APRIL 13, 2023 - During their meeting Thursday evening the Springville Community Academy approved the benefits package for their new school resource officer.
Photo: B.J. Fulkerson was hired as the Springville Community Academy School Resource Officer started on March 31st
B.J. Fulkerson was hired as a police officer almost 27 years ago by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department. " This job is not new, however a new chapter in my life, but the same book. I am really excited about this," said Fulkerson.
Springville Community Academy hired an experienced SRO, with Fulkerson serving two years as an SRO for the Shawswick School. In addition, Fulkerson has served five years as a D.A.R.E. officer and enjoyed helping the students.
Fulkerson served 20 years with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, serving in several roles on the department. He was ten years on the Emergency Response Team, but Fulkerson stated it was time for a change.
Fulkerson served two years at IU Health Public Safety prior to being hired by SCA.
He began his new position on March 31st.
Photo: B.J. Fulkerson is excited in his new role as School Resource Officer at Springville Community Academy
" I am really excited about the Springville Community Academy. It is a charter school, and the staff is very supportive. They are really supportive of their students, and with this new role I am in; we will be starting new safety programs and drills," added Fulkerson.
" I would like to say, Sheriff Greg Day has been great with this support and logistical support donating a fully marked sheriff department vehicle. I will be acting as a special sheriff deputy for the sheriff's department in this role," stated Fulkerson.
" Lawrence County Emergency Management and Sheriff's Department will be providing a radio, and Spillman software for reports. Everything is falling into place with this position,"
ROLE OF AN SRO
The role of a school resource officer is the person is a police officer and this is their beat.
The person is responsible for building safety and security. The officer will be monitoring camera, as well as mentoring and counseling students.
" A student may trouble at home, or a traumatic event we can talk. The student may talk and we may have to follow up with another agencies. This may require submitting something to the prosecutor with other charges,"
The titles may have changed over the years from Officer Friendly, D.A.R.E. officer, now moved into SRO's. The roles have changed conducting active shooter drills, lockdown drills, and we actually time them.
The SRO trains the students and staff how to react to certain situations. If something should happen, students are taught safety and survival. " There are many hats, we may have in a day. Maybe going from high fiving a student to being a law enforcement officer,"
The SRO must go through various training through the state's SRO Association going through Basic Training and Advanced Training. The officers are school safety specialist going through special training and prevention.
The SRO learn prevention tactics to prevent events like what happened in Parkland, Nashville, and more recently Louisville, KY. " Now is the time to get an officer in every school if we can,"
The school used an Indiana Homeland Security Grant to cover the expenses of the SRO, which totaled about $54,000 and the benefits package approved this evening at the meeting. Sheriff Greg Day helped the school with the salary of the SRO.
ADVERTISEMENT
