DEPEW, N.Y. — Detective Scott Hossfeld is used to patrolling to the streets in the village of Depew behind the wheel of a patrol vehicle but this year he'll be walking the beat here at Depew High School as the district's school resource officer.

"Detective Hossfeld will be in schools every single day, interacting with students and providing a safe presence for the students here," said State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace.

Wallace secured a $75,000 state grant for the one-year pilot program. The SRO comes as many school districts across the country are looking at ways to make schools safer in the wake of several school shootings.

But Wallace says it not just about keeping kids safe.

"He's a resource for education and for students dealing with personal issues,” she said. “He interacts with the students every single day, he is specially trained in deescalating situations and deescalating conflicts, he's trained in problem-solving skills."

"My biggest purpose, or at least what I'm trained to do, is to listen rather than talk,” Detective Hossfeld said. “By listening to the students, and speaking with the students, and letting them tell me their stories, they hopefully will have a base of opinion for police officers in a positive light and in turn police can have a base of opinion in a positive light for students, teenagers, and juveniles.”

In addition to patrolling the schools, Hossfeld will have an office where students can come and talk if they have a problem. But he also says he may not have all the answers.     

"If it's something that's beyond my scope, it's part of my job to realize that and to turn it over to a counselor or Mrs. Townsend, or the school principal for follow-up help for the student," he said.

School officials say they'll evaluate the program at the end to the school year. If it's successful, they have an agreement with the village to continue the program for the next four years if they get the funding.