After more than two years at the top of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office's waiting list, Signal Mountain Middle/High School has finally received a county-funded school resource officer.
Deputy Dale Lockhart, who previously patrolled East Ridge High School, was stationed at SMMHS on Jan. 4, and has already begun working alongside town-appointed SRO Heath "Gunne" Gunter, whose time is split between Thrasher and Nolan elementaries as well as SMMHS.
"We're very thankful for the sheriff for thinking of our school and making sure that we had [an SRO]," Gunter said.
With a student population of roughly 1,300 and many exits and entrances throughout the middle/high school's large building, Gunter, who has been the sole SRO for all mountain schools since 2011, said it was hard for one officer to patrol SMMHS and still find time to teach kids at the elementary schools the classes required of his position.
Having only one officer could leave the school vulnerable during times of emergency, he added, such as one instance where a parent threatened a former principal while Gunter was at another school.
"This just doubles the value of the safety we can provide for the school," he said.
Going forward, Lockhart will be working primarily with the high school while Gunter covers the middle school. The division of labor will free Gunter to spend more time at Nolan and Thrasher, where he builds rapport with students who will soon attend the middle/high school and teaches classes on topics like stranger danger and bullying.
The additional security will also make lunchtime safer, Gunter said. In many schools, the lunch hours are typically when most incidents occur, and instead of having one officer tied up in the cafeteria during the two-hour slot, one will be able to oversee lunch while the other patrols the grounds.
"I'm excited for the future for our school and the protection we're going to be able to provide," Gunter said. "[We want to let] the community know we're taking care of their children. They entrust us with their safety, and that's a very important thing."
Though both SROs will continue to work SMMHS, per the suggestion of Signal Mountain Police Chief Mike Williams and Principal Todd Stinson, Mayor Chris Howley said the Town Council will have to consider the need for two officers during upcoming meetings about the 2017-2018 fiscal budget. The new county-provided SRO comes at no cost to the town. Keeping the town-funded SRO at the school for additional security would cost taxpayers approximately $60,000 a year.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.