Thursday, March 28, 2024

Five-year contract

Tonseth serves as Bridgeport’s new School Resource Officer

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BRIDGEPORT – Since the current Bridgeport school year started on Aug. 29, 2018, a new presence in school buildings and on the grounds is Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy Sam Tonseth, the district’s new School Resource Officer (SRO).

Tonseth, who resides with his family in Waterville, is a 12-year veteran of the DCSO, and was honored as 2017 Peace Officer of the Year by the Greater Wenatchee Sunrise Lions Club.

When the school district approached DCSO about creating the SRO position, the opportunity was offered to the deputies and Tonseth put his name in the hat for the job. The position made sense for Tonseth whose assigned area has been the north end of the county and he is familiar with Bridgeport, its residents, and many of the school students.

Since assuming his post Tonseth has made it a point to be visible and available to students and has been proactive in explaining his role.

“I’ve done some presentations in classrooms,” said Tonseth. “I went through all the middle school and high school with presentations on what the School Resource Officer does.”

There are protocols to follow when an officer is injected into a school environment and to learn more about those guidelines, Tonseth attended a week-long class at the National School Resource Officer’s Academy.

“They specifically covered some of the nuances of law enforcement in school,” said Tonseth who explained one example. “You cannot interview a victim of a crime who is under 12 without special training.”

Tonseth said the academy emphasized more time devoted to changing behaviors rather than spotting violators.

“Part of the program is to hopefully start changing some of the attitudes toward law enforcement for all of the families,” said Tonseth. “The children see that there is a person inside that uniform who has a family as well and is approachable. Just a person doing his job.”

At this writing, the Bridgeport school district is the only one in Douglas County with an SRO on staff. Tonseth said Eastmont High School is looking into an SRO position as are one or more schools in Okanogan County. Chelan County schools have three SRO’s in their program.

When then acting-sheriff Kevin Morris announced Tonseth’s appointment to the SRO position at the Bridgeport City Council meeting on Aug. 15, 2018, he emphasized that both the school district and county committed to a five-year SRO contract.

Tonseth said the most enjoyable part of his job is interacting with youngsters “who are looking at the beginning of their lives, their hopes and dreams and they’re still young enough that’s what they are working toward.”

Tonseth said one pleasant development is the students’ initial reactions to his presence.

“It has been easier to build relationships with students than I thought it would be when I took this job,” Tonseth said.

Tonseth said that while he is on patrol around town on days when school is not in session, more of the families are quick to stop by and say “hello” because “they know that I’m working with their kids.”

“My goal for the end of the day is that the children have had a safe, secure environment to learn in,” Tonseth said.

During the summer months and school vacation Tonseth will serve on the sheriff’s marina patrol unit on the Columbia River from Grand Coulee Dam to Trinidad.

“Chelan and Okanogan counties do some marine patrol but it’s primarily Douglas County,” said Tonseth.

Tonseth said the U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for all the waters but does not have sufficient equipment or manpower to cover the inland waters. The USCG pays the state park system to handle that chore which in turn contracts with any agency that has a marine patrol capability.

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