Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to add fourth school resource deputy following Silver Rail shooting

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its School Resource Deputy program following the October 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.

Sheriff Ty Rupert has authorized an additional full-time School Resource Deputy (SRD) position as part of the office’s efforts to strengthen school safety and support local school districts. The position was posted internally Thursday, October 22.

Rupert delayed publicly announcing the expansion until Monday out of respect for families holding memorial services for victims of the shooting on Friday and Saturday.

“Our schools must remain safe places for students to learn and grow. Expanding our School Resource Deputy program strengthens our partnership with local districts and reinforces our commitment to protecting children, staff, and families throughout Deschutes County,” Rupert said.

An experienced deputy who previously served as a school resource deputy has been temporarily assigned to provide school coverage while the office works to hire someone for the new position.

The selected deputy will be assigned to the area that best meets the needs of the team and local schools. The sheriff’s office says the additional position will strengthen its ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to threats while maintaining a visible law enforcement presence in schools.

Rupert acknowledged calls from families for full-time school resource deputies in every school, saying the expansion is one step toward addressing those concerns.

“I want to acknowledge the fears and expectations of families who are asking for full-time SRDs in every school, and today’s action is one step forward,” Rupert said. “Protecting our entire county is critical, and our schools have become an even higher priority following this tragedy. I’ll continue partnering with Bend-La Pine Schools and our community to build on our SRD program that helps better protect our children.”

The sheriff’s office currently has three full-time school resource deputies serving schools in Sisters, La Pine, Terrebonne, Tumalo, Bend’s Buckingham Elementary School, Realms Middle School and Three Rivers School in Sunriver.

The additional position will bring the program to four deputies. The sheriff’s office said it will continue working on plans to further expand the program.