Freedom Middle School welcomes Officer Jones while some students still wonder, What do resource officers do?

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Olivia VanDeCar

Officer Rick Jones, Freedom´s newest resource officer

 

Officer Rick  Jones is the new resource officer at our school. He started at the beginning of the year and will be here until the end of the 2021-22 school year. He is a police officer for the New Sewickley Township Police Department and his assignment is to be a resource officer for our school. 

He went to college at the Community College of Beaver County.  In his free time he likes spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, being outdoors, camping, and going up to mountains. He has 2 kids, and his son graduated from Freedom last year.  Officer Jones has been a police officer for almost 20 years total! He has been with New Sewickley Township for a little over 13 years. 

“I just wanted [to be a police officer] because you experience something new everyday,” Officer Jones said.

Officer Jones also said he wanted  to be a police officer because it was in his family, his Dad was a police officer in Beaver Falls. His Dad was a canine handler. 

“[I enjoy most] interacting with all the kids, working with the staff and administration, making a bond with all the students and kids, and just being here for whatever they need,” Officer Jones said. Welcome Officer Jones!! 

Even though Officer Liberty was at our school for a while, and now Officer Jones is at our school many students still do not know what resource officers do and why they are at our school.  

“[Having a police officer at the school] provides a little more support, a little more security but the biggest thing it provides is a police officer at the school talking to the students and providing lessons.”  Dr. Ryan Smith, Freedom Middle School Principal, said. The reason we have police officers at our school is to further help the student learn about safety, drug and alcohol, and a wide variety of things.