City Mayor proclaims Feb. 15 as National School Resource Officer Day
Published 12:07 pm Friday, February 14, 2025
Officer Aaron Franklin Eastside Elementary
Officer Brian Smithpeters T.A. Dugger Junior High
Officer Doug Combs Harold McCormick Elementary
Officer Jordan Baker Elizabethton High School
Officer Sam Woodby Westside Elementary
Photo by Ivan Sanders/City of Elizabethton PIO During the City of Elizabethton February council meeting, Mayor William E. Carter made a proclamation that Saturday, Feb. 15, will be recognized as School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. Pictured left to right are Officer Doug Combs, Officer Jordan Baker, Officer Brian Smithpeters, Mayor Carter, Officer Sam Woodby, and Officer Aaron Franklin.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
CITY OF ELIZABETHTON PIO
Hundreds of school systems and communities across the country honored their school resource officers and reaffirmed that SROs are invaluable to the communities they serve.
For that reason, during the February City Council meeting on Thursday, Mayor William E. Carter made the proclamation that Saturday, Feb. 15, will be recognized as School Resource Appreciation Day and encouraged all citizens to show their gratitude with displays of support and personal messages.
By training law enforcement officers to counsel, educate, and protect school communities, the men and women of NASRO continuously lead by example and promote a positive image of law enforcement to school children and school communities.
SRO programs across the globe are founded as collaborative efforts by police agencies, law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and communities to create safe learning environments, provide valuable resources to school staff members, foster positive relationships with students, and develop strategies to resolve problems that affect youth with the goal of protecting all children so they can reach their fullest potential.
“The role of the school resource officer is very important,” said Elizabethton Police Chief Jason Shaw. “All our SROs are dedicated individuals and do a great job. I am very appreciative and proud of them.”
The officers are provided as a result of the State of Tennessee providing a grant program administered by the TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security to supply funding to cities and counties in the state to ensure all public schools have a full-time certified law enforcement officer serving as an SRO in each school.
Council approved receiving the grant at their July 2024 regular meeting, providing the city with $75,000 for each of the five SROs in the city school system. The total of $375,000 is used for payroll, benefits, training, and equipment for the SROs.
