The Danville District 118 School Board recently voted to add an additional student resource officer (SRO); this one being at South View Upper Elementary School. It would add to the Danville Police already working as resource officers at the high school, North Ridge Middle School, and Kenneth D Bailey Academy.
But both parties are going to take their time to make sure this is done correctly. As Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates recently told Neuhoff Media, special training is required, and the right person needs to be selected.
(1st Picture) Police Chief Christopher Yates addresses Danville City Council earlier this year. (2nd Picture) Danville District 118 Assistant Superintendent John Hart at Wednesday night Aug 23rd school board meeting.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: There’s still a lot of work that we have to do in both ends; in selecting a person, having the resources to send another SRO. We send them to specialized training; they get them certified as a student resource officer. It’s more than just being a police officer. You have to sort of serve by many different rules, and things that are different.
After Wednesday (Aug 23rd) night’s District 118 School Board meeting, Assistant Superintendent John Hart said the process could take nine to 12 months. He says, in some ways, that’s a good thing; because it needs to be done right the first time.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: We want to make sure the police department is full and settled. We know that they just hired officers, I’ve talked to Chief Yates many times in the last month, just trying to iron out the details. So I would like to think that it will be January, but most likely it would be the beginning of the next school year.
Meanwhile, the Danville Police Department will be swearing in four new police officers on Wednesday, August 30th.