School City of Mishawaka is stepping up its security.
The district is placing a police officer in every building -- even its elementary schools.
The School Resource Officer program in Mishawaka schools is a hybrid approach which will mean continued cooperation with the Mishawaka Police Department while at the same activating a school district reserve police force.
School leaders say they are fulfilling a promise made to voters.
A promise to voters
"This evening, I am extremely excited to share with you an update on our progress towards updating our commitment that was made to the Mishawaka taxpayers," said Kory LaBonne, the Director Of Human Resources and School Safety for School City of Mishawaka.
LaBonne was speaking to the Board of Trustees at its March 20th meeting.
He announced the district would have School Resource Officers serving in all 9 of the district's school buildings at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
LaBonne said the plan is part of what was promised in the Operating Referendum that voters renewed in May of 2023.
School leaders said part of the money drawn from the referendum would be used to hire new SROs, upgrade security technology.
In May, School City of Mishawaka Superintendent Theodore Stevens said the district would investigate wither to continue to partner with the Mishawaka Police Department for its SROs or create its own school district police department.
Currently, there are three Mishawaka Police Officers serving as SRO's in Mishawaka schools.
The three SRO's serve at the schools under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mishawaka Police Department which includes a cost sharing agreement.
With the passage of the referendum, the district will be able to hire 6 additional police officers.
LaBonne now says the district is taking a "hybrid approach" as the 6 additional officers will be serving the district as reserve police officers, working for the school district but maintaining their police powers through MPD.
The operating referendum brings in about $2.7 million a year.
About $480,000 a year will go toward the SRO program.
"Tonight’s celebration is a significant step in the improvement of the safety and security of all Mishawaka schools," explained LaBonne.
Current Mishawaka SROs
Nate DeVreese wears many hats in his role at Hums Elementary School.
When WSBT visited he was jumping rope with first graders while wearing a gun, handcuffs and a badge.
"I’m still a city of Mishawaka employee fully sworn police officer," explained DeVreese.
Patrolman First Class DeVreese is the School Resource Officer at Hums and will now also be the lead SRO for School City of Mishawaka.
For the last several years he has been the primary elementary school SRO for School City of Mishawaka, floating between the district's elementary schools.
Until now, DeVreese and two other Mishawaka Police Officers have served as the district's only SROs.
DeVreese has been a Mishawaka Police officer for 17 years.
Patrolman First Class Steve Treber, a 28-year veteran of the Mishawaka Police Department is the SRO at Mishawaka High School.
Sergeant Steve Madison is a 25-year veteran of the Mishawaka Police Department and is the SRO at John Young Middle School.
The three officers will continue to serve as SRO's through the police department and under the MOU agreement.
With the referendum dollars, the school district is hiring the 6 additional by activating a reserve police force.
The 6 new officers will be employees of the school district and wear a School City of Mishawaka Reserve Police Officer badge but will train with the Mishawaka Police Department.
"As a subset of that entity they retain their police and their arrest powers through Mishawaka police department. So they are fully sworn law enforcement officers, but they are School city of Mishawaka Employees. So that is where the difference comes in," explained LaBonne to WSBT22 this week.
Some of the new SROs have already started with the school district while others won't start until the beginning of the next school year.
Sergeant Mark Flemming retired from the Mishawaka Police Department in March and is one of the new SRO's hired by the school district.
He is now serving in Liberty Elementary School.
Assistant Chief Dan Gebo is retiring from the Mishawaka Police Department after 27 years and will start as an SRO at LaSalle Elementary School in August at the start of the new school year.
The school district worked with city officials, school leaders and members of the police department to select and hire the new SROs.
The development team will keep working to create new policies around the district's SRO program.
Even as school city of Mishawaka employees, the new SROs will need to complete the mandatory training required to be a law enforcement officer.
In addition to that, all SROs complete an additional 40 hours of training through the National Association of School Resource Officers.
The SROs will also complete Indiana School Safety Specialist Training.
The additional SRO training will help them face the unique challenges they could encounter.
"I think when you look at statistics of the situations of armed intruders entering a school facility, the start and end time is very brief. So having a law enforcement presence on campus who can engage and act immediately, upon the first concern, the first pause of some sort of situation that may or may not arise, was kind of our driving factor," said LaBonne.
The officers will serve inside the school buildings anytime there are children present.
Role of an SRO
"The students have been really supportive," explained Randy Peppers at a Mishawaka school board meeting in late March.
Officer Randy Peppers served 30 years in the St. Joseph County Police Department.
He is now the new SRO at Emmons Elementary school.
Emmons principal told the board they are "blessed" to have Peppers as their first SRO.
Peppers started in February.
"They come in every morning, and they want to give me hugs. I’ve caught a cold from some of the kids. It has been remarkable for them to see me not only as a policeman but as an educator," said Peppers.
While each SRO brings their unique personality and perspective to the school at which they serve, the role of an SRO is also unique.
Mishawaka schools is using the definition of an SRO from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).
It says, an SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer who is trained in school-based law enforcement and crisis response.
NASRO also considers a "triad concept" to define the three main roles of school resource officers which are a law enforcement officer, an educator and an informal counselor.
"So we have a lot of advantages especially when you put one in every single elementary school and every building thereafter as well," says LaBonne, "these individuals can build really authentic relationships with our students. Students who may be struggling or may be facing some adversity in the classroom or behaviorally. Where they can have yet another resource a safe trusted adult inside our school buildings that they can go to for guidance, support, assistance, for mentorship and those who have been able to start already are doing a fantastic job with that and are really enjoying the experience."
