Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office adds two more SROs in RCPS

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office recently received grant funding to add four additional school resource officers within Rockingham County Public Schools.

Two of those positions have been filled, with one new SRO being placed at Wilbur Pence Middle School and the other new hire being placed at Montevideo Middle School.

Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson says once the other two positions are filled, there will be a total of 10 SROs covering campuses around the county.

He says middle school can be a key transitional period for students, and the SROs are meant to be an extra layer of support.

“This enhancement of adding the four at the middle school level like we’re seeking to do, it’s a big plus, a big help not only to us but hopefully to the schools and ultimately to the students,” Hutcheson said.

Hutcheson says the key focuses for SROs at any level are keeping staff and students safe and engagement.

“It’s about helping it’s not about enforcement there’s that perception of enforcement but that’s not the priority at all, we’ll do it if we have to but our focus is on of course safety, and then also support,” Hutcheson explained.

The two current open positions for SROs at the middle school level are at Elkton Middle School and J. Frank Hillyard Middle School.

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