Photo via screenshot Gowanda School Resource Officer Ben Shields spoke to the Gowanda Board of Education at a recent meeting.

GOWANDA — Gowanda might soon be adding a second School Resource Officer to its District.

After a presentation from School Resource Officer Ben Shields at a recent meeting, the Gowanda Board of Education approved a resolution to advance the District’s School Resource Officer (SRO) program with the evaluation of adding a second officer.

At the recent meeting, Shields spoke to the duties of a School Resource Officer. In addition to an added level of security, Shields mentioned collaboration with Social Services, escorting a student to the Department of Motor Vehicles to receive their permit, and attending graduations in support of students.

“This is just part of what the program does, what the SRO does,” Shields said. “The biggest part is the security … but the secondary stuff is literally endless.”

Board of Education member Mark Nephew, who initially brought the idea of a second SRO forward, said, “It takes a special person to be an SRO.”

Shields noted that adding a second SRO would divide up some of the workload, especially with the Elementary School located down the street from the Middle and High School buildings.

“That would be a huge benefit, to be able to have two SROs that could cycle through and hit all of your buildings multiple times a day,” Shields said.

Shields believes the presence of an SRO leads to higher graduation rates. He shared that multiple students have told him that they would have stopped attending school if he were not employed by the District. Shields also highlighted that he often gives students rides to school when needed.

“Getting those kids to school and then connecting with them … that relationship never ends. That’s the type of relationship that will go on for my whole life,” Shields said.

Several school districts across Western New York have multiple Resource Officers. Shields mentioned Allegany-Limestone, Olean, Pioneer, and Salamanca as districts that currently employ more than one Resource Officer.

The District will now move forward to consider multiple agencies, such as the State Police, Cattaraugus County, and Erie County, before deciding on officially adding a second officer. Shields is a member of the Cattaraugus County School Resource Officer program, which employs 15 officers. The added cost to a District includes the purchase of a vehicle.

“There is a significant cost to it, but I think as a taxpayer and a parent myself, it’s worth every penny because of the results you get,” Shields said.