COLUMBIA, S.C. — After the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, WLTX reached out to all area school districts to ask about School Resource Officers (SROs) and safety precautions in Midlands schools.
We asked them how many SROs are in each district? If an SRO is at every school or are they rotated through different schools/locations. Is there a priority to an SRO's school assignment?
Below is a list of the school districts that responded.
Fairfield
We have a resource officer in all of our schools with the exception of our alternative learning center. The supervisor of our resource officers patrols this site periodically and is on standby to respond to any emergencies.
Lexington 2
We have 16 SROs from various law enforcement agencies in schools throughout our district
Lexington-Richland 5
School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties currently contracts with Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Department for 26 SROs.
School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties currently contracts with Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Department for 26 SROs.
Generally, SROs remain at the school to which they are assigned by the Sheriff’s Department. At times, substitutes may be called upon to fill an absence
School assignments are based on the number of SROs School District Five contracts for. The Sheriff’s Department assigns them accordingly.
Newberry
The School District of Newberry County currently has 8 School Resources Officers. Our middle and high schools have officers assigned to the schools and there are three that rotate between the other seven elementary schools.
Orangeburg School District
Have asked all law enforcement agencies to enhance patrols around and within our school campuses throughout the next two weeks.
As we near the end of this school year, there will be an enhanced police presence throughout the county on our school campuses.