The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office has welcomed its largest ever class of new recruits. As our Matt Hunter reports, the deputies will allow the county to expand its school resource officer program this fall.

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. – For Kasey Straus, police work is part of a family legacy.

“Ever since I was little, in middle school I really started understanding what he was doing, the kind of job it was,” Straus said. “My dad is actually retired [Saratoga Springs Police], he was a sergeant for 30 years so I kind of wanted to follow in the footsteps.”

To Kevin Ferris, it's a chance to build off of his experience in the Marines.

"I was an MP and found a love for the job, a love for helping people and the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of my labor through and through," Ferris said.

Both natives of Saratoga Springs, the pair was among the 21 men and women sworn in as new recruits of the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office on Monday morning.

“It is the largest class ever,” Sheriff Michael Zurlo said after the morning ceremony. “We are very proud, 21 recruits that start at the Academy on July 10th.”

Zurlo says the new members will allow his agency to expand its school resource officer program from two to 11 districts in the fall.

“With the events that have taken place across the country and after the events in Florida back in February, we reached out to the schools to see, to try to take a proactive approach," Zurlo said.

“God forbid there is that chance of an active shooter inside that building, that way we are there already,” said Deputy Kenneth Cooper, Jr., who oversees the school resource officers for the agency.

The increase in staffing will allow deputies to remain in the schools full-time for the first time since the program's inception five years ago.

“Part of it is the security but it’s that everyday contact with kids from grade one all the way to seniors," Cooper said.

After six months of training, the recruits will eventually replace some of the veteran patrol officers that are moving into the schools. As they embark on their new careers, they say they're eager to serve their community.

“The years of training, the years of study and all of the years of work really paid off," Ferris said.

"I have been expecting this my whole life and it is finally here,” Straus said.