There are three Haywood County deputies serving as School Resource Officers (SROs) at local schools – one assigned to Tuscola High School, one assigned to Bethel Middle school, and one who is assigned to Haywood Community College. The SROs are assigned two or three elementary schools a piece to respond to calls for service and take reports, ensuring all Haywood County schools stay within state mandates specifying certain crimes be reported to law enforcement immediately.
SROs provide security during school hours and at nearly all after-school and athletic events and take enforcement action in incidents involving drugs, weapons, violence, trespass, searches, gang activities and other crimes on the school campus. There many peripheral services provided by SROs too, such as student transports and attending student-parent conferences.
