This month, three additional Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deputies began their new roles as School Resource Officers (SROs), serving at Greenwood Middle/Meadow Lane, Eastern Wayne Middle, and Rosewood Middle. The SROs were provided through a state grant, and were part of a collaborative effort between Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office to increase school security efforts.
Altogether this school year, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has added a total of seven additional resource officers. Four of the seven added were provided this fall through a special allotment by the Wayne County Board of Commissioners. They serve at Brogden Middle, Norwayne Middle, Grantham Middle/Elementary, and Mount Olive Middle.
“We appreciate Sheriff Pierce’s efforts to step up the law enforcement presence across our school district,” states Dr. Michael Dunsmore, superintendent. “In addition to successfully securing grant funding, Sheriff Pierce worked tirelessly during last year’s budget cycle to secure the financial support from our County Commissioners to provide more law enforcement coverage at the middle and elementary school levels.”
WCPS has 27 fulltime and part-time law enforcement officers supporting school security efforts. The breakdown is as follows:
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (19 full-time and 4 part-time)
3 – Supervisors (roaming)
5 – High School SROs
8 – Middle School SROs
1 – Alternative SRO
1 – K-9 handler SRO (roaming)
1 – Law Enforcement Liaison
4 – Part- time SROs
Goldsboro Police Department – (4 full-time)
1 – Supervisor
1 – High School SRO
1 – Middle School SRO
1 – Elementary roamer SRO
“It is my goal to make our schools as safe and drug free as possible,” states Sheriff Larry M. Pierce. “The governing bodies of Wayne County, including the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, the City of Goldsboro, the Wayne County Board of Education, along with Superintendent Dunsmore and his staff, share this goal and have worked in cooperation with my office to strategically increase security efforts in our schools.”
New this school year, the sheriff’s office began providing a roving K-9 officer in August, conducting random drug searches of school buildings and parking lots.
“The use of the School Resource K9 for drug detection occurs at our middle and high schools on a random and continuous basis,” adds Sheriff Pierce. “The Wayne County Commissioners have invested over $16,000 in the K9 for use in the schools. The K9, Edora, and her handler, Master Deputy Josh Davis, are on duty five days a week.”
