District resource officer, DRO, school police, SRO, school resource officer, safety, security, security monitor

The district fills 16.5 new district resource officer positions, replacing security monitors. The jobs are changed to be more professional, with ongoing training required. DROs, both men and women, are a uniformed presence in schools, at district athletic events and at community functions that take place on school campuses. Their primary role is to be proactive and build relationships with students and staff, but they also have been trained to de-escalate situations with the purpose of protecting students and adults. If a situation warrants police involvement, DROs are prepared to intervene until the police arrive. DROs do not carry any guns or deadly force equipment. They spend most of their time at the high schools and middle schools, but provide assistance as needed throughout the district and augment the presence of school resource officers employed through the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Vancouver Police Department.