School police officers

According to the job description approved Monday, the position of Lehighton Area School District school police officer is being created to:

• Provide for the safety and welfare of students while on school property

• Assist with security at specified school functions

• Observe personnel and/or visitors, assist with attendance officer as requested

• Work with administration to support and enforce school policies

• Investigate possible illegal student, staff and parent actions

• Communicate information, observations, and/or incidents that have potential impact on the general well-being of students, personnel and/or visitors

• Support administration with large group campus activities

• Be a resource for students and faculty pertaining to crime prevention, gang activity, and drug awareness.

Duties will include:

• Maintaining high visibility in schools and areas designated by administration in order to ensure safety of district property, personnel, and students

• Enforcing board policy, procedures and Pa. Crime Codes in order to ensure the safety of district property, personnel, and students

• Arresting individuals suspected of engaging in illegal activities for the purpose of apprehending suspects and preventing further illegal activities

• Administering first aid for the purpose of providing immediate medical emergency care

• Impounding and securing evidence for legal proceedings

• Assisting community law enforcement personnel for the purpose of supporting them in the completion of their work activities within the school environment

• Testifying in court and at administrative hearings

• Assisting administration with performing internal investigations

• Utilizing ability to maintain crowd control

• Judging when to act independently and when to refer situations to the administration

• Recognizing and reporting safety hazards or concerns to administration

• Assisting in the programs of drug awareness and drug prevention for the purpose of helping students, parents, faculty, and the community in the difficult task of fighting drug abuse in our community

• Acting as a resource to parents, students, and faculty regarding law enforcement and crime prevention issues

• Attending local gang awareness meetings and sharing information with administration and faculty

• Patrolling school facilities (grounds, parking lots, roads, adjacent areas, etc.) for the purpose of providing administrative visibility, maintaining security, and deterring crime

• Responding to emergency situations for the purpose of addressing immediate safety concerns.