Safety & Security

Vision

The vision of the Cherokee County School District Police Department is to be regarded by the community and our law enforcement peers as an innovative leader in K12 policing and professional excellence.

Values

• Integrity: We are committed to achieving the public trust of our students, parents, school district employees and community stakeholders by holding ourselves accountable to the highest professional and ethical standards.

• Courtesy: We will conduct ourselves in a manner that promotes mutual respect with the community and our peers.

• Pride: We are committed to bringing honor to ourselves, the department, and the Cherokee County School District.

• Professional Growth: We are committed to developing future leaders through education, training, and mentoring each other.

Cherokee County School District School Police Department officers are highly qualified professionals who must have five or more years of law enforcement experience.  Eighty-eight percent of the officers hold post-secondary degrees, and three officers are trained child abuse investigators.  Of the 29 officers, the majority hold advanced certifications authorized by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.  All officers are required to attend the 40-hour Georgia School Resource Officer Course held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center during their first year of employment.  In addition, each officer has attended the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the National Alliance on Mental Health.  This course is designed to equip officers with the skills necessary to assist those with mental illness, co-occurring disorders, substance abuse, developmental disorders and brain disorders with the focus being de-escalation.

These officers work directly with the school administration, staff, students and parents to create and sustain a proactive community policing partnership to ensure a safe and secure environment. This form of policing allows for a broader problem-solving approach to prevent, or mitigate those issues, problems and concerns that may disrupt the school community.

Officers are assigned to each high school and middle school with collateral responsibilities to the elementary schools.  The presence of officers on campus enhances the perception of safety by the students, and the officer’s daily interaction allows for students to see a different side of law enforcement as they serve as role models and mentors to promote acceptable social behaviors.

Officer Selection Process

The CCSD School Police Department has an extensive process that ensures the potential selection of the most competent and qualified applicant.  It is our goal to select the applicant with the highest degree of honesty, integrity and professionalism.  The background investigation is a rigorous process which requires a minimum of five years of experience, medical examination, drug screen, polygraph and psychological assessment.

Salary & Benefits

The Cherokee County School District is an equal opportunity employer and CCSD School Police Officers enjoy a competitive salary and benefits package designed to meet today’s needs, as well as provide for a secure future.

The Police Services pay scale is based on education and verified law enforcement experience.  A Salary schedules are available on the Human Resources webpage .

The Office of Safety & Security includes the state-certified CCSD School Police Department (established in 1999) and Emergency Management Operations.  The School Police Department assigns certified police officers to each School Innovation Zone, provides proactive planning and training for school-based staff, provides parent/community safety education programs, facilitates background checks on employees and volunteers, and conducts criminal and administrative investigations.

The Cherokee County School District Police Department consists of 29 police officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, an Emergency Management Facilitator and office staff. The department is charged with the responsibility of supporting and facilitating the educational process in order to provide a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning.

Since 2006, the Cherokee County School District Police Department has been recognized as a “Certified Agency” under the Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program having demonstrated our commitment to law enforcement excellence by meeting or exceeding all applicable standards. This distinction is currently held by only five school district police departments in the state.

Emergency Preparation & Management

As a parent, you can feel confident that the Cherokee County School District has taken proactive steps to protect the safety of all students and staff.

• The School District’s emergency response protocols are in compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 mandating National Incident Management System (NIMS) training for critical staff and all school administrators.
• NIMS incident command principles have been incorporated into the School Safety Plans.
• Each year, a school’s School Safety Plan is updated with input from teachers, parents, school police officers and others in accordance with the required criteria established by Georgia law. This plan is reviewed by the CCSD School Police Department, and approved by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) every two years.
• All schools and district facilities have intrusion and fire alarm systems that are monitored by a third-party provider 24 hours per day.
• All schools have digital, closed circuit camera systems that monitor both internal and external locations on campus.
• Every school conducts fire, tornado and emergency crisis drills periodically throughout the year.
• Panic/Distress Alert devises have been placed throughout the every school to notify the school district police department when an immediate assistance is needed.
• Controlled Electronic Access has been installed at  the schools.
• All schools have a visitor check-in procedure and require all parents, visitors and others conducting business on a school campus to sign in and wear a badge.
• The School District has the ability to activate a Crisis Command Center that will work in conjunction with local public safety field commands to facilitate timely information related to student/staff populations, facility/campus layout, transportation and reunification.
• The School District has the ability to activate a Reunification Team that will work to ensure that students and staff are accounted for during a major emergency or crisis and reunited with designated family members.

 School Safety Plans & Required Drills

 As mentioned, each school has a School Safety Plan that is updated annually.  This plan establishes guidelines and procedures for school-based staff in the event of such occurrences as illnesses/injuries, fires, severe thunderstorms, tornados, hazardous materials, utility failures, bomb threats, bomb threats and armed intruders.  While all school-based staff are aware of the guidelines and procedures, each school has an Emergency Response Team (ERT) comprised of designated school personnel who have assigned responsibilities with the principal, serving as the incident commander.

During the school year, each school is required to conduct monthly fire drills pursuant to the Life Safety Code, 11-7-1.  These drills are recorded and submitted to the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s website.  In February and November, a severe weather drill may be held in lieu of, or in addition to the monthly fire drill.  Additionally, a school lockdown drill is conducted each semester.

Danielle Ross
Emergency Management Facilitator
Danielle.Ross@cherokeek12.net

State Department of Education School Safety Hotline: 1.877.729.7867

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office

Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

National Institute of Mental Health

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice