BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma — Bartlesville officials spent the summer preparing for the school year, and part of that effort included increased investments in safety and security.
People in Bartlesville are ready for school to start.
“Both my wife and I graduated here, our kids went here,” said Allen Bretz, a longtime Bartlesville resident. “We know some of the administrators and teachers and they just do a fantastic job.”
Amid the excitement, parents may also feel a little anxious. Safety and security are always top of mind in Green Country districts, including Superintendent Chuck McCauley’s district.
“This is the second year we have had a full-time SRO at all nine of our locations,” McCauley said.
Not content with that, the district and police department worked together to increase their efforts to provide security at schools.
“We want your children to be able to go to school and feel like they are in a safe environment where they can get a good education,” said Lt. Chris Mims, who oversees the SROs.
He told 2 News they take the partnership seriously. In fact, this summer they sent every SRO to behavioral threat assessment and site assessment training.
These trainings help officers deal with mental health crises and secure the school building itself.
The police will also be increasing their presence in the district. An additional officer will be deployed at the high school.
Allen Bretz has been with BPS for a long time and is happy that safety is their top priority.
“Well, I think it’s a good idea. We have a really good school system here in general, not a lot of problems,” Bretz said, “but you never know. So it’s good to see that. I’m kind of glad they’re doing it.”
The most important job of an SRO is protection. Mims says that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“SROs act as mentors. Sometimes they take on several different roles. Counselors … we are also educators. They are considered part of the school staff,” Mims said.
School starts in Bartlesville on August 15
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