Safety in school: GCPD’s Officer Loew to serve as School Resource Officer

GRUNDY CENTER – In light of the recent shooting at a Florida high school, student safety is becoming an increasingly prevalent concern across the nation – one that the Grundy Center Police Department and the school district are meeting head on.
 
A unique partnership between the school district and the GCPD will place a trained SRO (School Resource Officer) at the schools.
 
GCPD Officer Alissa Loew will be leading the SRO program, and has already worked with the school extensively; building relationships with students and staff at both the elementary and secondary school.
 
Loew says since she’s been at the school, she’s seen students’ attitude towards law enforcement change drastically.
 
“When I first started going to the school, they looked at me like an alien had landed; wondering who was in trouble, or what was going on,” she said. “But now, the students are getting more comfortable with me. I’ll have kids say hi, and we’ll chat for a minute. I’m starting to have kids come to me and tell me about something that they saw happen, or some issues they’re having.”
 
Loew has spent over 100 volunteer hours compiling information and paperwork detailing the partnership for the school, the city and the department to sign off on. This week, she will be spending time in Des Moines to receive formal training and certification to become an SRO. To finish up her certification, Loew will also attend training this spring and summer. The school district will be paying for half of the training, while the department will pay for the other half.
 
Once she’s finished, Loew will become the official liaison between the school and the police department for any investigations relating to the school or students. As part of her duties, she’ll spend a few hours at the elementary and secondary schools on each of her working shifts, greeting students and building relationships, as well as doing speaking events and providing informal counseling to students.
 
“One thing I’ve noticed is that you can’t just come into the school and expect the kids to come to you with any problems,” Loew said. “You’ve got to be there consistently and build relationships with them; you have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”
 
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