In Kenton County, protecting children is more than a policy priority — it’s a core value that guides decisions across every level of government. That’s why the Fiscal Court works collaboratively with school districts in Kenton County to place trained members of the Kenton County Police Department as school resource officers (SROs).
Currently, the Kenton County Police Department supports eight school SROs, the majority of whom serve at schools in unincorporated Kenton County. After being approached by the Diocese of Covington, the County expanded its SRO program to several of the County’s parochial schools. Schools within the Diocese of Covington fully reimburse the County for the cost of their respective officers, while the Kenton County School District covers the majority of the costs for its SROs.
Our officers, who collectively bring more than 100 years of experience in law enforcement to the job, play a crucial role in protecting students and staff, inside and outside the walls of their schools. SROs are tasked with the vital responsibility of monitoring potential threats and ensuring schools conform to the safety codes mandated by the state school security marshal. These codes, introduced by the School Safety and Resiliency Act, include measures such as maintaining locked classroom doors during instructional time and installing window covers that can be quickly deployed in case of a lockdown.
According to the National Association of School Resource Officers, the presence of SROs has been linked to quicker response times during emergencies, improved school climate and reduced incidents of serious violence on campus.