Many public schools throughout the state have school resource officers. Sometimes, they monitor hallways, but other times, they’re asked to speak to classes. However, their core duty is ensuring the safety of students and staff members.

As another school day began at Arlington High School, students walked in, and they must show their IDs or get a temporary one for the day.

Dutchess County Sheriff Deputy Alonzo Montanya has been a school resource officer, or SRO, for seven years. Having a background in education and policing, he’s trusted with developing connections with students and staff, while also protecting them.

“I just thought it was really important to have positive role models in the lives of our youth, and then changing the perspective of how people view police. So, I thought that this was a great way to get out and be able to do that in this capacity,” Montanya said.

When classes start and students empty the hallways, Montanya checks the school’s 50-plus entrances to ensure each door is secure. He does that multiple times throughout a day.

“Part of that for me, that makes it a little bit easier to digest every day is I’m a parent, and when my kids go to school, I want them to be protected. And I know that every parent or guardian of a child in this school feels the exact same way, so I take a tremendous amount of pride knowing that that's a part of my job every day and that's my expectations. You don’t ever want it to happen, but if it does, I know that's something that I’m prepared to do,” Montanya said.

Montanya also works to build relationships with and educate students. He frequently visits classes to teach.

“I kind of viewed it as a way to achieve that lifelong dream of being a teacher, being in that position of being in the schools, and that gave me the opportunity to have the balance of doing both police work and then interacting with the kids,” Montanya said.

His discussions with students range from what to do if you’re pulled over to what his job as an SRO entails.

“It helps them if they're in those situations on how to interact with the police and know that, you know, it's not necessarily that we're there to impede their day or give them a ticket, but, you know, it just helps them feel a little bit more comfortable in that interaction,” Montanya said.

Montanya combines his passions while keeping the community safe.

“The relationships, the friendships that you build with the staff and the kids. You know, there shouldn't be a hesitation in there because you know that they're valued and their life has value, and that's why I wanted to be here,” Montanya said.

According to Montanya, the role of law enforcement hasn’t changed over time, but as trends evolve, the problems they deal with do. Montanya said it’s important to find a balance between school policies and law enforcement.