![In room 4101, Natalie Patterson ‘26, Ariana Magor ‘25 and Celina Salazar ‘25 create a poster in science teacher Kerry Reilly’s Chemistry Honors April 18. The three completed a worksheet and drawing to explain the implosion of a tank for their unit on gas laws. “At the start of class, we watched a video of the tank imploding,” Patterson said. “I think [making a drawing] is something new. I like more artsy activities.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5019-1200x900.jpeg)
![The girls varsity soccer team walk back to their bench during halftime April 1. The Jags played against the Castle View Sabercats at the Douglas County Stadium and scored 3-0 W. “It felt really good [to beat Castle View]. I feel like that was a big win for us because knowing that we came together to beat a pretty good team has definitely given us some leverage for this season,” attacking midfielder Grace Rossner ‘24 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_4906-1-1200x1057.jpg)
![English teacher Colleen Lamb grades College Prep English assignments during period two Nov. 10. Lamb, who has been teaching for 27 years, decorates her classroom with posters and handmade college flags from her senior students. Everything I enjoy about English happens primarily in the classroom, Lamb said. So, thankfully, the college [I worked at] had a teaching program, and I was able to do my post-grad work for free while I was working [there].”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1158-1200x900.jpeg)
![At Prairie View High School, the winterguard team poses with their plaque after winning first place at their competition Feb. 24. This was the second time they won first place this year, this time with a score of 74.190 points. “I [love being] a witch, but my favorite [part of the show] is the trios, it’s so cool,” Heather Strickland ‘27 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PRARIE-VIEW-BY-MARGO-SANFORD-e1709531739910-1200x910.jpg)
School Resource Officers and their Impact on Public Schools
With the recent shootings at Denver East High School and other schools around the country, take a look at the role School Resource Officers play in schools and their impact on student safety.
media by Claudia Llado
Campus Security Specialists Jeaninne Nicol, Daniel Wrona and Jerome Adams review hallway security footage in their shared office April 14. The security office hallway is directly attached to the main entrance upstairs, with a security-specific desk located outside of the 9000s hallway downstairs. “My favorite part of my job is working with the students and ensuring their safety,” Nicol said.
April 26, 2023
The class quietly concentrates as students complete their test when, all of a sudden, shots are fired in the hallway.
Students hastily go into full lockdown, shaking with fear as they recognize the sound echoing through the classrooms. School Resource Officers (SROs) quickly contact police and go to investigate the halls, making sure every student is safe.
Denver East High School didn’t have this luxury, as there were no SROs present on campus during their shooting.
Just a few weeks ago, the public high school located in Denver experienced a shooting. The incident happened March 22 at around 10 a.m., with two wounded–Dean of Culture Eric Sinclaire and Restorative Practice Coordinator Jerald Mason–and the suspected shooter, 17 year old Austin Lyle, dead.
“I feel like it’s kind of hard to talk about the [shooting] because it’s so close by and it’s really scary that something like that could happen at school,” Lena Opala ‘26 said.
The elected school board in Denver voted in 2020 to remove SROs in the district, arguing that their presence harmed schools and students of color or students with disabilities, as there was an increase in school violence and unnecessary arrests. However, the controversy continues as other research has shown in different districts that they actually reduce student suspensions, arrests for assault and weapon charges and crime in surrounding areas.
“I will say that I like having our security officers because it’s just extra safety and you can never be too sure,” Georgia Howey ‘25 said. “It’s nice just in case anything happens and they can always help with other things too.”
Students, families and faculty at Denver East have been protesting for stricter gun control laws and getting SROs back in their school since their last shooting this year in February, as they frequently faced countless threats and lockdowns since then.
According to the Denver Post, two officers will be stationed at East for the rest of the school year, even though it will still be violating the district’s policy.
After several incidents at East, parents and students have reported no longer feeling safe. In support, other surrounding districts, including Douglas County School District (DCSD) have protested against gun violence in hopes for a change.
How safe is our school? Rock Canyon’s SRO Deputy Mark Adams shares his views on what it’s like for law enforcement on the academic side.
Q: How long have you been an SRO and what is your background in law enforcement?
A: I’ve been at Rock Canyon for about four years and I used to be a detective in the crimes against children unit. After doing that, I figured I needed something else to give back to the community more and help the youth, so the best route for me was an SRO, bridging the gap between schools and law enforcement.
Q: Do you think SROs are important to RCHS and other high schools?
A: I do, I think they’re valuable just because SROs have different resources and views when it comes to overall school security and providing students with that level of safety and security.
Q: What can you tell me about the safety of Rock Canyon?
A: Overall, we are a pretty safe school. Between myself, the security team and the administration and counseling office, we are very aware of anything that pops up. [We] do a great job at keeping everyone’s safety in mind. There’s never any situation with zero risk, but we are great at mitigating it as much as possible.
Q: How many SROs does DCSD have?
A: Every high school and middle school has an SRO, and they usually break it up between elementary schools. In this county, we have one SRO per five elementary schools. In Douglas County, we have roughly 24 to 25 SROs.
Q: How do you feel about the shooting at East High School? What are your thoughts on it?
A: I know that they’ve added some SROs to East after everything went down, but especially in the Denver area, we really need SROs to bridge that gap and work with the students. If you talk to a lot of students and other SROs that have gone through that, they actually cherished and really enjoyed having those SROs there. It isn’t just your job or just law enforcement in schools, but it’s making that connection with students. The best part of my day is talking to SSN (Significant Support Needs) kids or other students in general. It’s just really about making those connections and supporting them whilst taking into account their safety.
![The girls varsity soccer team walk back to their bench during halftime April 1. The Jags played against the Castle View Sabercats at the Douglas County Stadium and scored 3-0 W. “It felt really good [to beat Castle View]. I feel like that was a big win for us because knowing that we came together to beat a pretty good team has definitely given us some leverage for this season,” attacking midfielder Grace Rossner ‘24 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_4906-1-600x529.jpg)
![Grabbing at the exercise bands, Jonas Thelander ‘24 pulls Emmet Dunham ‘25 back from grabbing dodgeballs during Hungry Hippos Jan. 19. Before the game began, participants were tied together with the bands and had to take their shoes off. “I enjoyed being apart [the game]. I didn’t really know the rules, so I was just trying to grab as many as I could,” Thelander said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DSC_0698-1-1-600x415.jpg)
