Warrington Supervisor Gives Update On Student Resource Officer Program

WARRINGTON, Pa. — Warrington Township Supervisor Michael Diorka on Feb. 14 updated the board of supervisors on its School Resource Officer program.

Since the program was reinstated at the start of the school year, Diorka said Officer Robert Bell has been finding success in the hallways of Central Bucks South through a partnership between Warrington Township and the Central Bucks School District.

“(Officer Bell) told me it’s been one of the hardest jobs he has taken, but it has also been the most rewarding,” said Diorka. “He said it typically takes two to three years to establish the support and trust of the students. He said he needs to be a mentor, a counselor and still a law enforcement officer.”

Officer Bell had previously served as the SRO at CB South from 2014 to 2018.

As a sworn law enforcement officer, through the program Bell has been working cooperatively with the administration and staff at CB South to develop and employing actions and procedures that result in a safer school environment through direct positive interaction with students and connections with administration, faculty, and staff.

“He’s kind of an omnipresence to deter crimes. He has his ear to the ground. He has established some great relationships,” Diorka reported to the board.

The SRO has the authority to make arrests, respond to calls, and document incidents that occur within the school. His presence also provides not only a visual reminder of safety in the school, but acts as a mentor to students.

“His goal is to be part of the landscape, but never to be the focal point of the school environment,” said Diorka. “One of the things he is trying to do is to facilitate a mock traffic stop experience during an upcoming weekend. It will allow students and parents from South, East and West to experience what it’s like to be pulled over by an officer and how to handle the situation.

Beyond his law enforcement responsibilities, the SRO also participates in educational programming, emergency management planning, and strives to employ non-punitive techniques when interacting with at-risk students.

When the announcement was made last year that the program would be re-established, Dana Hunter, the president of the Central Bucks School District’s Board of School Directors, saw the “enormous potential” in the program’s return.

“While we know the school resource officer will help our students, faculty, and staff feel safer, Officer Bell’s presence as another trusted adult in the school environment increases the opportunities for our students to build a rapport with an adult who cares about their personal success and well-being," she said.

Diorka closed his comments by reading a poignant letter Bell received from a student he helped last year with a problem.

“I wanted to reach out to you and thank you for everything you have done for me during my court process,” the student wrote. “I know I haven’t been the greatest kid. There’s a lot I need to work on. Thank you for never giving up on me and believing I can grow.”

Since the incident, the student said he has taken “countless measures to redirect myself on a path toward healthier behaviors so I can be prosperous in the future. It was truly a wake up call for me that I needed to change my life and start acting like an adult, which includes taking responsibility for my mistakes.

“I also want to thank you for helping me that night because I was in a very dangerous situation and I could have easily died,” the student wrote. “Your hope in me has inspired me to pull myself together and I promise you that I won’t let you down.”