Kellogg school resource officers learn from peers at Boise conference

KELLOGG — At Kellogg Middle School and Kellogg High School, dedicated school resource officers Deputy Adam Durflinger and Deputy Mike Groves are working to ensure kids stay safe. 

This week, Durflinger and Groves attended the Idaho School Resource Officers Conference in Boise, joining 140 SROs to learn and discuss how better to serve their schools and communities.

Threat assessment, vaping prevention and teen seat belt use were some of the hot-button topics being covered at the conference. But it also includes updates on legislation that may aid SROs in their work, as well as juvenile diversion, the fentanyl crisis and the use of restorative justice among teenagers.  

Restorative justice is a uniquely focused theory that targets the harm caused by wrongdoing and aims to force offenders to understand and take responsibility for their actions and then allow them to redeem themselves. This opens constructive dialogue and discourages future offenses.

Groves said Idaho has over 700 public K-12 schools, but only 200 of them have an SRO assigned to them. This could be due to many factors, many of them financial. 

He said SROs do much more than respond to threats.

“SROs also serve as mentors and role models,” Groves said. “Some of the students have never encountered a police officer or if they have, it may have been a negative experience. By establishing a rapport with these students, they can have them see law enforcement in a more positive light."

He said SROs educate students on vaping, tobacco, alcohol and drugs as part of a prevention program. They also address some of the dangers of social media as well as provide training for staff in these areas.

Durflinger, known as “Durf” by many KHS students, pointed out that overcoming the negative perception surrounding law enforcement is challenging.

“I think walking the line where we establish a rapport with kids that we hope creates the environment where they are comfortable coming to tell us things while still enforcing the law when necessary,” Durflinger said.  

Kellogg School District’s SRO program is funded by the district and the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office. The SROs work in the buildings during the school year and are then used as additional patrol in Shoshone County’s rural recreation areas in the summer.  

Durflinger and Groves said their favorite parts of the job are the daily positive interactions they have with students.  

"Officer Groves and Durflinger bring a calming presence to both KMS and KHS while providing a police presence for support," KSD Superintendent Lance Pearson said. "The rapport they build with students and staff has a positive impact on the culture of our school district."