Falconer Central School has hired a School Safety Advisor as a part of the School Safety Advisor Program.

The School Safety Advisor is in charge of planning, development, implementation and monitoring of the District Safety program. In this role they will advise, educate, and mentor students, faculty, and staff on established policies, procedures, and regulations related to safety, abuse and violence prevention. This position is similar to what other schools have been doing or are starting to do.

“This position was created through civil service,” Superintendent Stephen Penhollow said. “It’s similar to what Jamestown Public Schools or Dunkirk schools have been doing, or what others are starting to look at. It’s been difficult to find School Resource Officers, so we began looking at different avenues to be able to cover, that involved trained police officers.”

The School Safety Advisor is meant to be a mentor, teacher and counselor for students, families, faculty and staff.

They are meant to bring security to the school and be easily recognizable and approachable for students. For Falconer, the School Safety Advisor is Todd Beckerink.

“He has had many years on the force and with the District Attorney’s office,” Penhollow said. “He was also a part of the Erie County Department at Highmark Stadium.”

The School Safety Advisor will also be taking on a role in the classroom, teaching on items such as the history of law enforcement, search and seizure, constitutional rights, criminal law and drug abuse. They will also be present or a part of extracurriculars such as meetings, sporting events and club projects.

According to the Falconer Central School District School Safety Advisor Program, available on the school website, “the ultimate goal of an SSA program is to maintain and improve the safety of the learning environment in our schools through the reduction and prevention of school violence and drug abuse. The School Safety Advisor is armed and will be recognizable with ‘Safety Advisor’ on the back of the shirts and coats that are worn. While the primary focus is prevention and deterrence, the SSA conducts all criminal investigations on campus, coordinating his/her activities with the building administrator. Although under the direct supervision of the Administration, the SSA is considered a member of the school faculty and, as such, works closely with the principals to determine the best course of action.”

Work activities for the School Safety Advisor include; coordinating all safety trainings, education materials and providing guidance in promoting awareness on a variety of safety, abuse, and violence issues and promoting prevention programs; conducting workshops and providing leadership to the students, parents, and faculty addressing tobacco, alcohol, other drug issues, gang activity, violence diffusion and prevention, crime prevention and safety issues in the school community; researching state and federal regulations and relating the information to work practices and advising management of regulatory changes; preparing and disseminating information on topics of health, safety, toxic substances, emergency planning, fire prevention, and building code requirements; reviewing, updating and making recommendations for modification of existing health, safety, and environmental programs; attending meetings, workshops, seminars, and training programs as necessary to maintain certifications, knowledge level, and skills; assisting with and identifying at-risk students and making home visits as needed; providing consultation and assistance for all safety-related drills, inspections, crisis response plans and in providing security for all occupants of school building and grounds; assisting in accident and incident investigation and mental health evaluations/interventions as needed with outside agencies; coordinating and participating in required inspections, surveillance, parking lot safety, and traffic control and attending events as needed; and preparing reports and conducting special projects as assigned.

Altogether, Penhollow said the School Safety Advisor will coordinate with administration and local law enforcement to continue to build their relationship.

“We need to continue to build this relationship so we have additional support when needed,” Penhollow said. “The overall idea of this position is to provide armed safety support that works with local law enforcement, administration and the students.”