The push to place school resource officers in every school in Cherokee County is three steps closer to being a reality. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office now has three full time SRO’s assigned to Cherokee County High School, Cedar Bluff School and Sand Rock School.

Chief Deputy Josh Summerford said that Sgt. Jordan Kelly who is over the SRO Division has been assigned to Cedar Bluff School, Deputy Kasey West will post at Cherokee County High School and former Calhoun County SRO and Cherokee County native Deputy Brandon Harris will be placed at Sand Rock School.

Summerford said that they are still in the process of training and hiring five more School Resource Officers for the remaining campuses.

In addition to the three full time deputies the sheriff’s office has an agreement with the Board of Education to have a deputy working on their off days on a rotating schedule to the schools that do not currently have a full time SRO’s. Summerford said that the hiring of three full time School Resource Officers makes it easier on the part time SRO. He went on to say that as they fill the remaining five positions the part time SRO will phase out.

Summerford told us that this has been a long process, one that has been in the works since 2013.

Summerford said that having full-time officers in schools could not only help make sure students and faculty is safe – but also to be informal counselors where they build positive relationships between students and law enforcement.

Summerford also mentioned that resource officers would come in handy during time of natural disasters helping to relay important information to school administrators.