Has adding a second SRO made West Craven High School safer?

Vanceboro, CRAVEN COUNTY — A year ago, Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes said deputies were receiving as many as 10 calls a week about fights or gang activity at West Craven High School. Since adding another school resource specialist, deputies said the call volume has died down.

Two school resource officers (SROs) are currently patrolling the halls of West Craven High School.

Last year, Sheriff Hughes said he saw a need for additional support and asked the Board of Commissioners to pay for a second SRO.

Adding an SRO costs about $100,000, which includes his salary and equipment. The costs are covered by grants and taxpayers.

Ryleigh Mells will soon be a student at West Craven High School. He’s in a middle school where there’s only one school resource officer.

“It’s a big drama, we’ve had some fights… It’s just hard to feel safe right now because we only have one and he’s not everywhere,” she said.

That’s why Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes has assigned two school resource officers to West Craven High School.

Lt. Gov. Stevan Liszewski is helping to implement this model at all high schools in the school district.

News 12’s Bilyana Garland asked what the biggest challenge facing high school students in the county is. “I mean, we live in a very complex world right now. You’ve got a lot of social media, gang activity, a vaping situation that’s always difficult for these guys,” he said.

In October 2023, one SRO was responsible for the safety of approximately 900 students and school staff.

Lieutenant Liszewski said he sees gang recruitment on campus, describing that they are not the infamous bloodsuckers and criminals, but rather neighborhood gangs.

“When older members recruit younger members, they will be recruiting from schools, so they (deputies) will try to monitor that information and prevent it before it happens,” he said.

He said gang members use the campus environment to make money by selling drugs, but deputies have tools to help track the flow of drugs in the halls.

Lt. Liszewski said that by monitoring and securing the campus, SROs step into a mentoring role. “They are very well trained for where they are placed. They are there for a reason,” he said.

Ryleigh agreed: “He should make sure everything is in order and everything is in order, and if you don’t have that, your school will be all over the place.”

Lt. Liszewski said the number of SROs in Craven County Schools has doubled in three years, training them to have a lifelong positive impact on students.

But some people disagree. The organization called The Learning for Justice initiative argued that the presence of SROs made students feel watched rather than supported.

In Craven County, Lieutenant Liszewski said he sees a connection between the increased number of SROs in schools and greater student involvement in activities DARE program. Additionally, he said the “See Something, Say Something” app is a resource for parents and students to report tips about problematic behavior in schools.

News 12 reached out to a Craven County schools official for comment, but he said he was unable to provide comment.