Elementary School Resource Officers Pushed By Loudoun Sheriff

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County's sheriff has endorsed a key recommendation made by a school safety panel: officers in elementary schools.

The Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety released its 11 recommendations to improve school safety at Loudoun County Public Schools, including armed school resource officers, unarmed school security officers or private security guards at the 62 elementary schools and more coverage at after-school events. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office was among the agencies represented in the panel.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, a Republican who was elected to his fourth term, has called for school resource officers in elementary schools since 2019. Currently, the only sheriff's office deputies in elementary schools teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to fifth graders. Middle and high schools already have school resource officers working alongside the unarmed school security officers.

"It is time for Loudoun County to develop a multi-year plan and identify the necessary funding to ensure the presence of a School Resource Officer (SRO) in LCPS elementary schools, as we have for every middle and high school," Chapman said in a statement. "The Blue-Ribbon Panel’s recommendations are a helpful starting point for these important discussions."

The sheriff's office, staffs the school resource officer program at LCPS along with the Leesburg Police Department, said the officer roles would differ in elementary schools due to the ages and needs of students. However, all school resource officers in LCPS schools would be present to respond to active violence threats and other emergencies, as well as interact with students and staff.

Funding for school resource officers would have to come from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The Loudoun County School Board would also have to recommend them, according to the sheriff's office.