The School Protection Unit is part of the Patrol Division and operates under the direction of the Patrol Commander.  This unit is comprised of a Lieutenant and full-time School Protection Deputies at each of the public schools in Bradford County.

The School Protection Unit is led by a School Safety Specialist of supervisory rank (Lieutenant) to review all county school facilities and to reinforce security measures through procedures, design, and education of the school faculty.  This has enabled ongoing improvements to school security throughout the county and has permitted an additional law enforcement officer to be available as a measure to further safeguard our students.

The main goals of this unit are school safety and prevention of juvenile delinquency by promoting positive relations between youth and law enforcement.  There are three major components which allow the School Protection Deputies to achieve these goals: Law Enforcement, Education, and Counseling. These three components allow the deputies to take a proactive approach to law enforcement; however, School Protection Deputies are not just “cops” on campus.  School Protection Deputies not only provide all law enforcement services on their campus, they also educate students about law enforcement, and are ever present to counsel students and parents on various issues.  The School Protection Unit endeavors to become involved in the students’ lives as a positive role model.  The intent is to promote positive experiences between students and law enforcement to bridge the gap between juveniles and deputies.

Having a law enforcement officer on campus provides an additional measure of security for the schools and, since the School Protection Unit often handles issues (both criminal and other problems) that occur at the school, it often eliminates the need to call a patrol deputy.

School Protection Deputies are specially selected and receive additional training and certification for this very important duty. Currently, the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office has eight deputies trained as School Protection Deputies.  The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for providing service to all Bradford County School District facilities.

Contact: Lt. Shaun Burgin

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