Rainbow City Doubles Down on School Safety With Expanded SRO Program
Rainbow City-Rainbow City is taking a strong step to ensure the safety of its students. The city recently expanded its School Resource Officer (SRO) program, hiring additional officers to bring the division to a total of eight. This move allows the Rainbow City Police Department (RBCPD) to provide two dedicated officers to every school within the city limits, while also giving flexibility to cover new facilities and accommodate future growth.
The expanded SRO team now includes supervisors Jordan McCartney and James Pickard, along with Michael Reaves, Mike Prater, Alissa Russell, Ryan Condy, Blake Habyan, and Amber Brown. With this full team, each of the city’s schools — John S. Jones Elementary, Rainbow Middle School, and Westbrook Christian School — will have the enhanced coverage of a two-officer presence.
Councilman Jameson Jenkins praised the new hires, noting the importance of protecting one of the city’s most precious resources — its children. “I simply can’t overstate how big of a deal this is. I am incredibly proud to be part of a team that is leading by example. Studies prove the effectiveness of two-man teams is extremely high when it comes to protecting children and we act based on facts. We are the first agency in the region to have this level of coverage in schools,” Jenkins said.
WEIS Radio News spoke with Rainbow City Police Chief Camp Yancey, who emphasized the city’s commitment to safety.
“Investing in additional school resource officers reflects our commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for every student and each staff member to thrive. Safety for our children remains a top priority for our city.”
Mayor Joe Taylor, who has overseen some of the fastest growth in North Alabama, reinforced the city’s focus on proactive protection.
“We know that we live in a world that has people that are willing to harm children therefore what this city council decided along with Chief Yancey was to eliminate that threat by putting an overpowering force in our schools to make sure that our children aren’t an easy target and that we will not tolerate any wrongdoing. The safety of our children is our paramount concern,” Taylor said.
The role of an SRO is both challenging and rewarding. While the idea of two officers per school may have seemed ambitious in the past, Rainbow City is proving that investing in student safety is worth every effort. With this expanded program, the city is setting a new standard for school safety in the region while fostering an environment where students can focus on learning and thriving.
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