SCOTT CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — In the past, you might have thought something was wrong if you saw a police cruiser parked outside a school. However, in Scott County, police vehicles are becoming as common a sight as school buses. That's a good thing.
Kentucky's 11th largest school district made up of 10,000 students, has reached its goal of having school resources officers in all of its public K-12 schools. Scott County Schools Superintendent Billy Parker says a lot has changed in just a matter of years.
"We went from five SROs in our community and now we have 17 spaces available," Parker told LEX 18 Thursday.
Across the state, every public school district covers funding differently. In Scott County, the cost is shared between the school district and the county's three law enforcement agencies: Georgetown Police Department, Scott County Sheriff's Department, and the Stamping Ground Police Department.
"We'll pay half and whatever agency it is will pay the other half then we'll also split that reimbursement we get from the state, so that it's straight down the middle," Parker said.
Georgetown Police Officer Gregg Muravchick is the school resource officer at Western Elementary. The veteran officer says building relationships with students is the key to keeping everyone safe.
He has recruited a couple of eager students to help him do daily safety checks to make sure doors are locked. Muravchick says that's one of many ways he builds their trust.
