Berkeley County looking to fill 5 school resource officer positions

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is looking to fill a handful of school resource officer positions in Berkeley County schools.

Capt. Matthew Woodall believes the School Resource Officer, or SRO, is one of the most important law enforcement positions today. “Society expects to have a law enforcement, police officer, or deputy sheriff, at every school during school hours to ensure that our kids are safe,” he said.

Noncertified SROs start at a minimum of $46,063, and certified SROs start at $50,063 in Berkeley County.

“We’ve got a couple of positions to fill between elementary, middle, and high schools. Ideally, we’d like to find someone who’s already a certified law enforcement officer. That way we can get them on the ground a lot quicker,” said Capt. Woodall.

There are 36 SRO positions in the 27 schools the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for. Five of those 36 are available.

Thanks to grant funding, each school in the district now has SRO positions.

In addition to traditional law enforcement duties, a school resource officer takes on other responsibilities.

“And that could be we fix the kid’s bicycle because the chain comes off or they’re having a problem at home and they come to talk to us we help find them a resolution; whatever it is they need, we’re going to help them to get what they need, or get them to the resource they need to be successful in school.”

If you are interested in becoming a school resource officer in Berkeley County, click here.