The School Resource Deputy is responsible for School Resource functions in the Winston County School System. This Division is under the command of the Sheriff.
The School Resource Deputy provides law enforcement services to Winston County schools and the community those schools serve. This includes the performance of basic police tasks of protecting life and property, preserving the peace, prevention and investigation of crimes,
apprehension of criminals, recovery of stolen property, identification and preservation of evidence, maintenance of criminal records and serving and enforcing orders of the courts.
Personnel assigned to this Division will implement Community Oriented Policing strategies designed to enhance the security and safety of school environments. These strategies, include, but are not limited to, developing communication with students through presentation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) curricula, Gang Resistance Education Training (G.R.E.A.T.) curricula, and other law-related instructional courses. They will provide a visible presence to deter violence on campuses, conduct safety and emergency assessments of school sites, develop emergency safety plans for schools in conjunction with school administrators, serve as consultants on law enforcement matters for school administrators, and act as liaisons among the Sheriff’s Office, schools and the communities served by those schools.
The School Resource Deputy will support and assist other Sheriff’s Office personnel in investigations involving the schools or students. They will be available to train others in techniques for combating school violence and on other crime prevention topics. School Resource deputies will represent the Sheriff’s Office at the state and national level to further the expertise and professionalism of school-based law enforcement.
The School Resource Deputy will serve as a link through which administrators, students, families and others may contact social service agencies, other law enforcement agencies, the courts and mental health professionals. They will participate in school functions, including athletic events, social events, school trips and community events so that the Sheriff’s Office continues to develop strong community relationships through the schools.
The School Resource deputy will investigate incidents and offenses that occur in the schools. They will be responsible for prosecution of criminal offenses occurring in the schools when appropriate. In the event that an emergency situation arises in a school and the School Resource deputy cannot be contacted, patrol deputies will respond to the emergency. School Resource deputies will provide follow-up investigation where necessary.
The School Resource Deputies may take incident/offense reports in which misconduct or criminal activity is alleged against Winston County Board of Education employees, however further investigation and prosecution will be the responsibility of appropriate detectives. Administrative actions taken for or against school board employees are the responsibility of the Board. Deputies having knowledge of events or activities will report that knowledge appropriately, but internal investigations of Board employees are not a responsibility of School Resource deputies.