School Resource Officer

My name is Deputy Chris Mendoza, and I am fortunate to work for the Park Hill School District as a School Resource Officer (SRO) for Lakeview, English Landing, Graden and Union Chapel schools.  

My career began in 1994 in law enforcement, and I recently started working for the Platte County Sheriff's Office. I previously worked for Smithville Police Department and was an SRO for the Smithville School District.  

I look forward to connecting with the families of the Park Hill School District! 

 

Credentials:

• P.O.S.T. Certification--MCC Blue River Academy 
• Part-time Defensive Tactics, Taser, and Intermediate Weapon academy instructor at MCC Blue River Academy 
• Basic SRO Certification 
• Crisis Intervention Team Officer for Adult/Youth 
• Trained Negotiator through the FBI 
• Law Enforcement Officer for 20-years 

ABOUT THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PARTNERSHIP

There are over 10,000 sworn police officers serving in schools nationwide. The primary goal of the School Resource Officer is to promote a safe-school environment for learning.

The key component of the partnership between Park Hill School District and the Platte County Sheriff’s Department is to “close the gap” between law enforcement officers and young people; making connections between vulnerable populations in the community are vital for the safety of our community members and their families.

This is done by increasing positive attitudes towards law enforcement; teaching the value of our legal system; promoting respect for people and property and reducing juvenile delinquency by helping students formulate an awareness of rules, authority, and justice.

The School Resource Officer can spend more time interacting with students and teachers during the school day resulting in increased rapport and student-initiated contacts. This is done by following the Triad Model the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) teaches during basic SRO certification classes: the SRO is to be a mentor/informal counselor, an educator, and, lastly, a law enforcement officer.

Law Education: I maintain a list of lessons detailing a variety of law education topics for teachers and students. Law education focuses on coaching students about laws pertaining to Alcohol and Drug Awareness; Constitutional Law; Traffic and Municipal Law; Domestic Violence, Crime Prevention/Reporting in Schools and much more.

Law Counseling: I work closely with the Counseling Staff and the Social Worker in order to provide appropriate levels of support and information to students and parents by counseling them on a variety of issues, such as violence; anger management; personal conflicts; harassment; bullying; drug and alcohol issues; abuse and/or neglect.

School Policing: Police referrals made to the School Resource Officer allows for easier follow-up investigation, thus netting higher solvability. Other duties include conducting investigations and interviews; works with surrounding law enforcement agencies; liaison between the school, community and local law enforcement; provides expertise in safety planning; and serves as a resource for information and services to students, parents and school personnel.