Security officers hired for Ohio County schools
Wheeling WV August 21 2023 School security officers for Ohio County Schools have been hired and will be in place at school facilities before the end of the month.
Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones announced this week that four retired law enforcement officers have been hired as SSOs in Ohio County Schools, and that they would join five members of the Wheeling Police Department as officers assigned to the school district’s buildings.
Previously, the school district participated in the PRO program administered through the sheriff’s department, but Ohio County Schools is no longer contracting with Ohio County for deputies.
Instead, the Wheeling Police Department is in charge of hiring and training SSOs for the schools.
Among the retired officers hired as an SRO is John Haglock, a former Ohio County deputy and PRO who was a past “PRO Of The Year” for the state of West Virginia.
He retired as a PRO at Madison Elementary School, and will now return to the school as an SSO.
Other retired officers hired as SSOs include William Nolan, who will be assigned to Ritchie and Bethlehem elementary schools; Kevin Goode, at Elm Grove and Middle Creek elementaries; and Donald Britton, who will serve both at Wheeling Park High School and Steenrod Elementary School.
Among active Wheeling police officers, Tyler Wilson also will be assigned to WPHS, which will have two SROs. Jason Chambers has been placed at Triadelphia Middle School and the nearby alternative school; Greg Harris, at Wheeling Middle School; Dylan Giusto, at Bridge Street Middle School; and Kevin Kuca, at Warwood School.
Jones explained the school district and the Wheeling Police Department still plan to hire during the school year additional SSOs for schools that presently share an SRO with another building.
The active officers are already working at their jobs, while the retired officers will begin after giving notice to their current employers, according to Jones. He expects they all will be in the schools by Aug. 28.
The school year begins Aug. 22.
Ohio County Schools’ relationship with the PRO program and the Ohio Sheriff’s Department ended earlier this year after a proposed financial contract between the school district and the Ohio County Commission was rejected. It would have raised the cost Ohio County Schools paid the county for each PRO from $60,000 a year to $84,500.
Jones said under the new SSO plan with the Wheeling Police Department, active officers will be paid $57,000 annually and retired officers $42,000 a year.
An SSO will be considered a civilian staff member of the Wheeling Police Department.
The SSO will not be in uniform while in the school building, but will likely wear a police polo shirt and carry a firearm while on the job, Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger has explained.
He noted the principal difference between the former PROs, and the SSOs is that the PROs were required to teach some classes in the school.
That still could happen with the SSOs, but they do not have to do so, Schwertfeger said
