ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — The need for school resource officers continues to grow across the state. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has awarded 200 school districts and charter schools across the state with school safety grants amounting to $75 million to fund more officers and safety equipment.
What You Need To Know
There are 13 elementary schools within Rockingham County Schools
Madison Police Officer Taylor Pittman is the only permanent elementary school resource officer for the school district
The district was awarded two safety grants that will allow them to add permanent SROs into each elementary school in the district
Officer Taylor Pittman is with the Madison Police Department and is the permanent school resource officer for Dillard Academy.
"Occasionally I’ll circle the parking lot and the back area just to make sure everything is clear and good,” Pittman said. "But I’ll check this door and this hallway, make sure that’s secured."
It’s a part of her daily routine at the school, not just looking around campus, but making sure everything is OK on the inside as well. And, she even checks in on the students when they’re in classes as well.
"Them knowing I’m here, I think it makes them feel safe, and it definitely gives the parents a piece of mind to know that we are here in the school," Pittman said.
Pittman is the only permanent elementary SRO for the school district. There are three other SROs within Rockingham County Schools. The district was awarded two safety grants that will allow them to add permanent SROs into each elementary school in the district.
"[It] gives the parent’s a piece of mind, makes the children feel safer, as well as the employees here," Pittman said.
And it adds more safety equipment into the schools, such as more security cameras, reunification kits and even Wi-Fi hotspots for reunification sites.
"Those security systems and cameras are helpful to me, but I do also walk around the school and check the perimeter and make sure that we’re all safe here," Pittman said.
The money totals about $1.2 million for Rockingham County Schools from the North Carolina Center for Safety Schools.
There are 13 elementary schools within Rockingham County Schools. Around $599,000 will go to deploy SROs into the schools and $587,000 to go to new safety equipment.
Pittman says when she joined the force, she wanted to become an SRO to give the students what she had growing up, a positive role model.
"Every child should have someone, at least one person in their life that they can go to, if they have any issues or just want to talk. So, I always want to make sure that I’m giving that energy to the children if they ever do need to talk to somebody, I’m here for them," Pittman said.