City Of St. Helena Appoints New School Resource Officer

ST. HELENA, CA — An officer with the St. Helena Police Department has been appointed to fill the vacant role of school resource officer, a position funded through June 2021 by a California Tobacco Law Enforcement Grant.

St. Helena police Officer Melissa Brown is specifically assigned as the SRO for the St. Helena Unified School District, St. Helena police Chief Chris Hartley and SHUSD Superintendent Marylou Wilson recently announced in a news release.

Officer Brown is slated to attend School Resource Officer School in mid-January before commencing work as the SRO in early February.

Brown has been a St. Helena police officer for over three years, and during which time she has served as the city's community liaison officer and volunteer coordinator.

She has specialized training in drug and alcohol awareness, symptoms, recognition and enforcement. As SRO, Brown is tasked with implementing the goals and objectives of the tobacco grant, which include significantly reducing the percentage of students using tobacco-related products.

The SRO works collaboratively with school-district personnel and community resources to provide educational programs focusing on the hazards of tobacco use, enforcement of state laws regarding student use and possession, as well as the rules of the respective schools regarding e-cigarettes and other tobacco-related products.

In addition to tobacco-cessation efforts, the SRO serves as an on-campus security presence, promoting a safe environment for learning.