August 7, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A new School Resource Officer has been named to join the existing staff of SRO’s
Sheriff Patrick Ray has announced that Deputy Jasmine Garza will serve as an extra SRO at DeKalb County High School and also as a fill-in SRO at other schools in DeKalb County.
The Board of Education allocated funds for the position in the 2024-25 school budget at the request of Sheriff Ray.
The other five positions are funded by the state.
“I asked the School Board to appropriate a salary for an extra School Resource Officer in the 2024-2025 School Budget,” said Sheriff Ray. “There has been a need for an extra SRO at the High School because of the extra volume of investigations. We also had a problem when an SRO was out for sickness, we did not have another SRO to replace them. We had to take away the SRO, who was assigned to the Middle School, and move that officer within the 4 other schools in our county, leaving the Middle School unattended. The High School SRO was trying to protect not only the High School, but the Middle School also. I appreciate the School Board and Director Patrick Cripps for their help in this matter,” said Sheriff Ray.
“Deputy Garza began her law enforcement career for the sheriff’s department as a Correctional Officer and was chosen to be sent to the Police Academy as a Deputy,” said Sheriff Ray. “She has been a Deputy for me for 2 years. I believe she will bring an abundance of resources to our SRO Program. I also believe having a female as an SRO will be beneficial to the school system along with this program. It is very well known that most victims of crime, especially children, can talk and relate to a female officer easier than a male officer. I believe Deputy Garza will be a great Deputy for this kind of intervention. Also, a female Deputy will be able to better search females if the need arises,” added Sheriff Ray.
Deputy Garza said she is pleased to have this new assignment “I have been with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for 5 years,” said Officer Garza. “I spent 3 years in corrections and 2 years as a road deputy. I believe that it is time for me to work in another position, and that is why I put in for SRO. I am excited to be an SRO to work with the youth and be part of a strong support system that is in place for them. I hope that being here with the children will assist them in coming to us as law enforcement to help them with any problem they may be facing,” she said.
Other School Resource Officers are:
Smithville Elementary School Deputy Roger Whitehead
Northside Elementary School Deputy Matt Summers
DeKalb Middle School Deputy Joseph Carroll
DeKalb County High School Deputy Chris McMillen
DeKalb West School Deputy Billy Tiner