By Philip Haldiman
Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

Peoria city officials stated in a document that the agreement will continue the cooperative efforts by the city and district to promote public safety and awareness, as well as provide an important level of service for the school, community and patrol officers on the street.

The current school resource officers have also been involved in making the schools better neighbors by assessing the impact they have on the surrounding neighborhoods, the document stated.

Threats to students and school properties have become a normal part of life in this country and as a result SROs have become a constant presence at schools throughout the nation.

From 2013 to 2018, there were at least 49 credible threats on Peoria Unified property, according to a public records request.

The district has relationships with the Glendale and Peoria police departments who provide SROs on all seven district high school campuses. SROs also establish relationships at their respective feeder elementary schools, and both Glendale and Peoria police departments increase patrol in the immediate area of a school site, should they require it.

Under the new agreement, SROs have a number of duties, including:

• Establish and maintain a professional working relationship with school officials. Build a relationship with students, parents and school officials that promote a positive image of law enforcement.
• Provide appropriate police and enforcement services at school.
• Work cooperatively with the school administrators and parents to identify students who exhibit high truancy rates.

PUSD Superintendent Linda Palles Thompson said school resource officers are an integral part of the district’s campus leadership team.

Ms. Palles Thompson said the district is fortunate to have a strong relationship with the Glendale and Peoria police departments and appreciates a partnership that has provided officers at all high schools for more than 10 years.

The partnership allows the police department to continue educational efforts in schools while increasing police visibility and presence in the community, she said.

“They are much more than a presence on campus but serve each day by protecting, educating, advising and supporting our students and staff. SRO’s are often seen visiting at elementary feeder school campuses to build relationships and provide insight regarding issues facing students today,” she said. “The role of an SRO cannot be understated. They are a tremendous asset to our staff and make a remarkable difference in our school communities.”

The city is the primary employer for school resource officers and are responsible for each assigned officer’s salary, workers’ compensation and other benefits.

In 2016, the National Association of School Resource Officers awarded its Floyd Ledbetter National School Resource Officer of the Year Award to Officer David Fernandez of the Peoria Police Department.

Mr. Fernandez serves as a school resource officer at Centennial High School. The annual award recognizes an SRO who has made specific and significant contributions to the officer’s local town, city, county and/or school district.

NASRO said Mr. Fernandez was instrumental in the school system’s Students with Aspiring Goals program, which provides support to incoming freshman students who have been identified as at-risk. To help the students develop positive attitudes for academic success, Mr. Fernandez met with them several times per year for pizza lunches and athletic events, organization officials stated.

Senior Hadyn Gardner, Centennial student body president, said Mr. Fernandez is an integral part of the community.

“Officer Fernandez is so amazing to our culture at Centennial,” Mr. Gardner said. “Through many of our school incidents, he has been the glue to our campus. He is always so kind and supportive to anyone and everyone at CeHS. We love him and are so grateful to have him on campus!”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.