KEARNS, Utah — There are two main goals School Resource Officers have in Utah - protect students and try to relate to them. Having diverse SRO's is a huge help in that mission.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera, a woman and a person of color, wants kids in the high schools that UPD serves, to see SRO’s that are more representative of who they are and where they come from.
“We don’t want children to fear law enforcement we want them to trust us," Sheriff Rivera said. "Bringing diversity to the profession helps with that.”
Detective Jaime Cardenas is a Unified Police detective currently serving as a School Resource Officer, at Olympus high school.
He loves working and interacting with these young people, but he also knows he has an extremely important job to do.
“Safety is my number one priority here at the school," explained Det. Cardenas. "That’s why I’m here!”
The same goal applies to Detective Nick Lavulo, who is one of four SROs at Kearns High School.
"My main job is to keep the security for the school but it’s also, [to] come here and build relations with the kids,” Det. Lavulo said.
Both men said their job is made easier because they are persons of color. Cardenas is Latino and Lavulo is Polynesian.
“I know how important it is to have somebody that they can relate to and give them some life advice like that," Lavulo explained. "If they can see me doing it they can do it.”
Lavulo admitted he was a rebellious teenager and student, but he joined the military and then became a police officer and now he wants to make sure these kids are safe while also helping them become successful adults.
Sheriff Rivera said she remembers growing up and not seeing many faces like hers in positions of authority. She said the relationships and trust SROs build with students can potentially prevent a tragedy.
“When the children in our schools feel like they can communicate with school resource officers on a different level, it can save lives,” she said.
UPD currently has 13 school resource officers. Of those, six are Latino, one is Polynesian and two are women. All four SROs at Kearns High School are persons of color.
