Two Ontario County sheriff’s deputies assigned to local school districts have completed specialized training for school resource officers.
Deputy John “Zach” McCauley, who serves the Naples Central School District, and Deputy Aaron Douglas, assigned to the Victor Central School District, completed the weeklong Basic School Resource Officer School in Saranac Lake.
The training covered school safety, adolescent development, crisis response, de-escalation, threat assessment and emergency planning. It also focused on building positive relationships with students, educators and families.
The course was hosted by the Committee on Policing and Safeguarding Our Schools in partnership with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Saranac Lake Police Department.
Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione said the specialized instruction strengthens the deputies’ ability to build meaningful relationships with students while helping schools remain safe and supportive.
School resource officers combine public safety duties with mentorship, education and collaboration within their assigned districts.
