Have YOU Met the SRO? (Do You Know What the SRO Is?)

The Student Resource Officer or SRO plays a vital role within our district, but based on questions I've heard from parents, I would like to provide a better understanding of what the SRO does and who our current SRO is. 

Many believe the SRO is there to provide a visual police presence to hopefully deter criminal activity. While that is one of the roles the SRO takes on, it certainly isn’t the only role or even the most important role. When choosing an SRO for Vermilion, it was important for us to select an officer that could easily connect with the students.

We want the SRO to be able to build positive relationships with the students, so the students know the SRO is a trusted adult they can depend on when they need help. We want to promote the positive image of police officers as a resource and protector in times of crisis.

The SRO is a unique position because he is not a district employee. The SRO is an employee of the Vermilion Police Department that has been assigned to the position. When a new SRO is being assigned, officers interested in the position can apply and be considered.

The following are the official job duties/responsibilities of an SRO:

•    Receive mandatory approval of the VLSD Crisis Response Plan through the Department of Homeland Security (Completed December 5^th, 2015).
•  Plan, revise, implement, and communicate any and all changes to the VLSD Crisis Response Plan
• Walk through each of the school buildings on a daily basis. Stop in classrooms, greet students, and be a positive presence during walkthroughs.
• Be present at main entry points when students are arriving in the mornings.
•  Greet students and build positive relationships with the students in each building.
•  Provide Alice Training Resources for the staff and students
• Coordinate all emergency communication in the event of a school crisis
•  Coordinate and assist in the Canine School wide drug searches.
• Work in conjunction with Vermilion Police Department, Vermilion Fire Department, Lorain County SWAT team, Red Cross, and the Lorain County Emergency Management team in the event of a district crisis.
•  Meet with myself and the Assistant Superintendent on a biweekly basis to discuss identified potential student list that need extra mental health assistance
• Work closely with the counseling team on identified students
• Monitor building security systems and report issues to superintendent immediately.                                                                                                                                                                   

Our SRO is Ptl. Brian Beckwith. This is his first school year in the position of SRO, and the experience so far has been nothing but positive. He graduated from Vermilion High School in 2005. Among other things, he was an Eagle Scout, a member of student council, played football, baseball, tennis, and was in the marching band, jazz band, and show choir. He was very active while a student at Vermilion.

After graduated from Vermilion, he went on to college and graduated from Ashland University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. I asked Officer Beckwith to provide me with a bio…a bit of background information on his schooling and work history so that you can know more about him and his qualifications for this position.

     After graduating college, I worked at Erie County Sheriff’s Office as a Corrections Officer for one year. I then went to the Sandusky Career Center to obtain my police academy certificate. I worked on third shift with the Cedar Point Police Department for a season before getting hired in with the Vermilion Police Department. I was a part-time patrolman with the City of Vermilion until May 2015 when I was sworn in as a full-time officer.

     While attending Ashland University, I was an Intervention Specialist major with plans of becoming a special education teacher. After student teaching, I discovered that special education was not for me, so I switched my major to Criminal Justice. When I was informed of the School Resource Officer position being open, I felt that it would be a good fit for me, given my background in teaching and Criminal Justice.

     I am very glad I chose this position as it gives me an avenue to reach students on a more personal level and to reach out to students that may need help. I have found that being able to be proactive in addressing the issues kids are facing before they become a criminal problem is something I take great pride in performing, and it brings me a great deal of satisfaction. This position enables me to create positive encounters with the students in terms of law enforcement.

      My goal is to make students feel more comfortable in approaching an officer about any problem, help students to discover the best person they can make themselves become, and most importantly to make the learning environment for the students a safe and secure one. If you have any comments, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at SRO@vermilionpolice.com or call either the schools or our non-emergency police line at (440)967-6116. Thanks for reading!

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