Our View

RESOURCE OFFICERS POSITIVE FOR SCHOOLS

The middle schools in the Escambia County School System should be safer,
and their students will have an opportunity to get to know law enforcement
officers on a personal basis beginning next year.

Sheriff Grover Smith has worked with three private trusts, the Escambia
County Commission and the Escambia County Board of Education to raise the
money needed to put resource officers in the county's middle schools.

Smith said the officers will be placed primarily at W.S. Neal Middle
School, Escambia County Middle School in Atmore, and Flomaton Middle
School. Additionally, the officers will rotate visiting middle school
classes at McCall and Huxford schools. In addition, the D.A.R.E. (Drug and
Alcohol Resistance Education) program will be implemented in the fifth
grades of each school.

This program will no doubt yield positive benefits in each of the schools.
Experts agree that by the time students reach high school, it is often too
late to discourage them from using illegal substances.

We salute both Sheriff Smith and those who've opened their purses to help
fund this program.