School Resource Officer

(WDRB file photo)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Armed, wearing body cameras and body armor. Those are just a few of the uniform requirements Jefferson County Public Schools lists for its school safety officers.

The policy committee reviewed the 12-page manual for SSOs during its meeting Monday night. It will need board approval, but the work is in jeopardy with a possible change coming to the state's school resource officer law.

The board's manual is broken into six topics: hiring, training, detention or arrest of students by an SSO, equipment, weapons and data reporting. 

When it comes to weapons being handled, "every officer will have a district-issued handgun with two magazines," said Jonathan Lowe, executive administrator of policy and systems.

Guns also must remain holstered at all times, unless an officer is engaged in activities requiring its use.

As for the hiring process, two new committees would be created. A hiring protocol team, which would make recommendations on how to recruit a racially and ethnically diverse pool of applicants. The protocol team would also develop sets of interview questions to assess experience, working with diverse backgrounds, law enforcement in schools and responses to SSO-based scenarios.

An SSO screening committee would also be created. This committee will help interview candidates and recommend candidates to be reviewed by administrators.

"Representation from a variety of divisions and departments that have an interest in making the right people are selected," said Lowe.

The manual also lists when SSOs can and cannot use their firearm. Acceptable use includes using the gun to defend themselves, or others. But a gun cannot be used as a warning shot or from a moving vehicle. If a firearm is un-holstered on school property, administrators must be notified.

"It refers to the statues that authorize the use of firearms," said Lowe.

The discussion of weapons brought attention to officers wearing body cameras. The policy committee recommended that body cameras be added to the list under SSOs uniform requirements.

"If we're going to put weapons on officers, they need to have body cams so that if the worst-case scenario ever happens and they have to use the firearm, we have it documented," said Stan Mullen, executive administrator for security and investigations. 

Superintendent Marty Pollio said body cameras for all SSOs is included in the proposed budget. But all of this work into SSO procedures could need change.

JCPS wants to assign SSOs to patrol three to seven schools by car. But some state legislators want armed school resource officers to work on every single campus.

"It's going to be very challenging, not just for Jefferson County but every district in the state to find a way to have an officer on every single campus exclusively," said Pollio.

Pollio said the new plan does follow current law by assigning SSOs to monitor every school.

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