TPSD adds three more school resource officers

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Three additional school resource officers will be patrolling Tupelo Public School District campuses for the upcoming school year.

The addition of three school resource officers will mean nine officers will be at TPSD campuses. The school and city agreed more officers were needed, and the school district agreed to fund the new positions.

Administrators in the school district and police department said adding the three officers helps to strengthen security measures at all campuses, plus it gives students an opportunity to build positive and lasting friendships with the police.

“The faster the response the better, having someone on site makes all the difference and it’s another example of what we like to call the one single heartbeat, when a group of people in a community come together and do whatever is necessary to protect children,” said TPSD Supt. Dr. Rob Picou.

“They’re here in the morning when kids come to school, starting in kindergarten all the way up to high school, building relationships and doing different camps, Junior Police Academy, the DARE Camps, teaching DARE in school,  gang prevention,” said TPD Deputy Chief Allan Gilbert.

The new officers will start in July.  All SROs are certified law officers, and they also take special courses for their roles on school campuses.