FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – After a Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputy and school resource officer was arrested for his alleged relationship with a student, News13 sat down with Sheriff Kenney Boone to see how these officers are chosen and trained to keep kids safe.
Sheriff Boone explained that his department has a model training program for SROs, and while he’s disappointed in the recent allegations, the program will remain strong. Officers who make mistakes, will be held accountable, Boone says.
“In any profession, all these folks are human, and they are subject to making bad choices,” Boone states. “If they do, we deal with that situation like we’ve had to do recently.”
The school resource officers are interviewed and assigned based on their ability to connect with the students and staff within a school.
“SROs have to be a special person, to be able to communicate and be able to connect with students,” explains Boone.
News13 spent the day with one of those officers, to see how they build the vital relationships. Officer Danny Brown walks the halls of South Florence High School daily, and he says when you’re tasked with protecting children, there’s never time to slack off.
“Only easy day we had, was yesterday,” says Brown, suggesting each day is tougher than the last. It’s his goal to make each ‘today,’ better than yesterday.
“It’s all about going higher,” says Brown. “I tell the kids all the time that we are raising the bar for where we are and where we need to be.”
The officer is rarely in his office because he hopes to establish trust and relationships with students – a necessity to keep them safe.
“It’s beyond friendships; it’s about relationships. That’s what life is built upon. Getting to know them at the high, getting to know them at the low, and being assessable,” explains Brown.
Seven years ago he entered South Florence High School with a freshmen class. That group of students is now graduated, and Brown says seeing the growth in each student over the years is extraordinary.
“I can see the growth in them. Coming from a little girl into a young lady, or this young man into this man. I always say for every boy there is a man in them. For every girl there is a woman in them, and for every individual there is some good in them. I try to look for the good in them,” says Brown.
Brown recognizes he can’t make decisions for students, but he does his best to support them toward good choices.
“At a certain age you can’t push a person, you have to encourage them. Encourage them to better, act your best and change your thinking,” says Brown.
Boone says the county’s SRO training model is an exemplary program. As of now, they do not plan to make any changes.
