Atlanta Public Schools to hire student resource officers for every elementary school

ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools is hiring student resource officers for every elementary school. The district says we’re living in a different time and those officers are needed.

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Ofc. Jessica Walton is the new school resource officer at Hope-Hill Elementary School. She works hard at being more than just an authority figure.

“You gotta be able to build those relationships with children but also respond to anything as a police officer,” Walton said.

APS officials have been discussing adding SROs to elementary schools for a while. They just added money to the budget to hire at least one SRO at each elementary school.

Principal Keshia Knight looks at Ofc. Walton as part of the Hope Hill family.

“I welcome the idea of a school resource officer because it gives not only protection but also a sense of community and making sure our students and families see the woman in the uniform, in a different light,” Knight told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes.

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APS is holding a job fair this weekend and is looking to interview and hire SROs on the spot.

The job fair will be held Saturday, Nov. 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Ofc. Walton says this job gives her an opportunity to correct behavior while kids are young. She wants to positively impact their lives.

“We’re breaking the pipeline from school to prison,” Walton said.

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