SROs, or school resource officers, protect schools and offer help to kids in crisis. There are 13 SROs in the county, and the SRO here at Gateway is Lisa Snedden. 

Snedden is the supervisor of the Safe Schools unit, which means she oversees and places other SROs around Carroll County schools. She says she spends most of her day monitoring the school and checking cameras. She also deals with having to investigate student conflicts, for example, things like threats posted over social media. 

One Snedden’s most difficult responsibilities is being an authoritative figure to students and having to enforce the law at school. She wants to be able to interact with students as much as possible and says the best part of her workday is spending time with kids. She wants the kids here to see her as a person, not just a police officer, and wants to be someone they can confide in. 

She went to a community college with the goal of being an officer, then eventually began work as a patrol officer. One of her interests was working in a school to help protect kids and after working hard, she earned the promotion to be an SRO. 

Being an SRO requires commitment to making a difference, as well as the ability to balance work and home life. Snedden says it is important to “leave work at work.”

She finds her job fulfilling, despite the daily challenges and hard decisions that come with being an SRO officer. 

One thing is for certain, we are very grateful to have her at Gateway!