School Resource Officer in every public school in Lexington County, says Sheriff

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– Every public school in Lexington County has a permanently assigned School Resource Officer, for the very first time.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon says 39 of the officers are Lexington County Deputies. Koon says they serve as sro’s in 35 schools, with two each in Irmo, Chapin, Lexington and White Knoll.

“We’ve added six permanently assigned SRO’s at elementary schools for the upcoming academic year,” Koon said. “Thanks to pay increases the previous two budget cycles, we’ve seen deputies step up to take on these important roles. The pay increases have also positioned us to hire deputies from the outside.”

Koon credits Governor Henry McMaster and lawmakers with providing funding for school resource officers statewide.
Sheriff Koon says they are focused on crime prevention, crisis response and community oriented policing.

“A number of municipal police departments in Lexington County have assigned officers to cover schools inside their town limits,” Koon said. “We’ve all worked together to make sure the school campuses in our community stay safe and secure.”

“With an SRO in every school, those who attend and work at each school can rest assured each SRO is a specifically trained law enforcement officer focused on crime prevention, crisis response and community-oriented policing,” Koon said.