Megan Thomson is the new school resource officer.
This year when the students, teachers and administrators went back to school in Lincoln County School District No. 2, they had a new ally coming to school with them. Deputy Megan Thomson, with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, is the first school resource officer in Star Valley.
Thomson has been a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office since November of 2006, and was interviewed for and chosen to be the new school resource officer for LCSD No. 2 and the LCSO.

“I applied for this job because I believe in the position,” Deputy Thomson said. “I believe that having a school resource officer works, and I want to do everything I can to make it work well here in our district.”

Since having a school resource officer in Star Valley is new, many people are unclear about what it means, and what role Deputy Thomson will play in the schools. However, while having a school resource officer may be new to Star Valley,  SRO programs have been in schools in the United States since the 1960’s, and the popularity of SROs has grown significantly over the past ten years.

National School Safety and Security Services says that school resource officers typically focus their functions on law enforcement,  student counseling and law-related education, and that SROs work in conjunction with education officials and administrators to benefit students.

School resource officers are not security guards, hall monitors or attendance officers; they are specially trained deputies who handle law enforcement issues of all kinds related to schools. Just as there are many officers throughout the country who specialize in homicides, drugs or other law enforcement fields, SROs are specialized officers who receive specialized training and can do a better job when it comes to dealing with school-related law. SROs typically have detailed knowledge about juvenile justice, juvenile issues, juvenile law, juvenile court and Department of Family Services issues and policies.

In Lincoln County School District No. 2, Deputy Thomson has a home-base office at Star Valley High School, but she will be on call whenever and wherever needed, from Etna to Cokeville. She will respond to and handle any situation or call that would normally be covered by law enforcement that is related to the schools. She could be called to handle traffic control, truant students, drug issues, child abuse cases, fights, illegal items present in the schools, assisting with drug checks and other law enforcement issues.

There is no change in the standard operating procedures in the schools or in the sheriff’s office with the addition of a SRO. Having an SRO just allows one officer to concentrate on all of the  school-related issues.

Deputy Thomson also plans to be a familiar face in the schools, to help the students become comfortable around law enforcement officers.

“I want kids to be comfortable and feel like they can approach me anytime with concerns or problems,” Thomson said. “I want it to not be a new thing for them to see a cop.”

So far Deputy Thomson has visited all of the schools in Star Valley, and will be visiting the Cokeville schools soon. She is also participating in special assemblies to meet the students.

“I don’t want to walk around the schools until the kids and parents know who I am,” Thomson said.

Later in the school year she plans to introduce some presentations to the students, on topics such as safety and  “stranger danger” for younger students and “recreational drugs” for high school students.

Having a school resource officer in LCSD No. 2 has been a priority for Sheriff Shane Johnson since he first was appointed to the position of Sheriff in mid-June 2007.

“I made that a top priority right away and started working with the schools right after my appointment to make this happen,” Sheriff Johnson said.
Sheriff Johnson believes that having a school resource officer in LCSD No. 2 is a win-win situation for the students.

“These officers are in schools all over the country,” Johnson said. “It is not a negative thing and there is no down side to it. The Sheriff’s Office and LCSD No. 2 are working towards the same goals of having safe schools and a good learning environment for all kids, including my own.”

Sheriff Johnson believes strongly that having an SRO in LCSD No. 2 has many benefits.

“Having one officer handling school issues provides for consistency, better response times and better law enforcement in the schools,” Johnson said.
Deputy Thomson agrees that her role in the schools will be a beneficial one.

“I will always be available and at the ready,” Thomson said. “I will have a good working relationship with school officials and I will be familiar with the issues and cases that the schools are facing.”