Field Notes · The schools
School resource officers, and who staffs them
For most families in Cumberland County, the school resource officer is the only part of the sheriff’s office they will ever deal with directly. It is worth knowing how that post is filled.
The part of this office most families actually meet
A school resource officer is a sworn deputy assigned to a school rather than to a patrol district. They are not security guards and they are not employed by the school system in the way a teacher is — the sheriff decides how many deputies are assigned, to which schools, and what happens to that assignment when the agency is short-staffed elsewhere.
A post that stays filled is a different thing from a post that exists
That last clause is where the real decision sits. A post that exists on an organisational chart and a post that has the same deputy in the same building every week are different things to the students and staff who rely on it. When staffing gets tight, school assignments are among the easiest to quietly leave unfilled — and the people who notice first are the ones with the least ability to do anything about it. LaRue Windham has argued across three campaigns for a larger and more consistent sheriff’s presence in Cumberland County schools.
What to ask your county
If you want to know how your child’s school is covered, the two places to ask are the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Cumberland County Schools — ask how many SRO posts are budgeted, how many are currently filled, and what happens to the assignment when a deputy is pulled. Those three answers tell you more than any campaign promise.
Paid for by Windham for Sheriff.