In 2004, the Tahlequah Police Department
developed a partnership with the Tahlequah Public School system to place
full time CLEET certified Police Officers in the schools. There are
currently three full time police officers assigned to Tahlequah Public
Schools as school resource officers.
Officer
Randy Jordan is assigned to the elementary schools: Greenwood,
Sequoyah and Cherokee. Officer
Brian Stanglin is assigned to the Tahlequah Middle School.
Officer Bryan Swim is assigned to the Tahlequah High School. Sergant
Marcus Sams is the Director of Operations at the Cherokee County
Regimented Education Academy. Some of the duties of a school
resource officer (SRO) include: enforcing municipal, state and federal
laws, truancy, home visits with social workers, interaction with
students on a daily basis by acting as mentors and positive role models,
talking with students in the classroom about drugs, gangs, bullying and
law related material, provide assistance and recommendations with
school security and safety procedures to school administration and
superintendents’ Offices.
School Resource Officers also participate in after school events and
activities, such as Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah and provide
security at athletic events. SROs participate in several school
committees’, including: D.A.R.E., Crisis Management, Safe Schools and CARE Team
(student assistance program). SROs frequently attend training in
continuing education classes focusing on school safety, crisis
management, bullying and crime prevention strategies.
