Los Alamos Reporter

LAPS School Resource Officers Remind Community Of Safety Concerns With The Start of School

LAPS School Resource Officers from Los Alamos Police Department include, left to right, Cpl. James Keane, Cpl. Everett Williams, Cpl. John Harris, Cpl. Samantha Terrazas and Sgt. Chris Ross. Photo Courtesy LAPS

LAPS NEWS RELEASE

School Resource Officers (SROs) at Los Alamos Public Schools would like to welcome everyone back to school and take a moment to remind the community about safety concerns that have been observed since the start of school on August 12.

  • All visitors must check-in at the main office at a school site and provide identification.  The school will issue a temporary identification badge which must be worn while on campus.
  • While school zone flashing lights are activated, the speed limit is 15 mph. Even if no children are present, the speed limit is still 15 mph.
  • All school campuses are closed to public access during school hours. This includes Sullivan Field at Los Alamos High School and all playgrounds at the elementary schools.
  • When school buses activate the flashing red lights, all motorists must stop in both directions to allow students to load and unload the school buses safely.  There have already been ten reported incidents and three citations issued for this violation. 

These policies and laws are to ensure the safety of our children while attending school.  Please help keep our students safe during this school year.   

Los Alamos Public Schools and the Los Alamos Police Department have partnered for the past several years to have SROs available at school sites, including all five elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. They are specially trained law enforcement officers who perform three main roles: law enforcer, mentor/counselor, and educator. 

This year’s SROs include:

Cpl. Samantha Terrazas, Aspen Elementary and Barranca Mesa Elementary

Cpl. Everett Williams, Chamisa Elementary and Piñon Elementary

Sgt. Chris Ross, Mountain Elementary School

Cpl. James Keane, Los Alamos Middle School

Cpl. John Harris, Topper Freshman Academy and Los Alamos High School

“LAPS is very fortunate to have such a well-qualified group of officers on site to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” said Interim Supt. Jennifer Guy. “They develop a good rapport with students and are a great resource for support and education.”