School Resource Officer

District welcomes Police Officer Kelly Decker as its first SRO
 

Port Jervis Police Officer Kelly Decker already knows most of the students in the district through the D.A.R.E. Program. Pictured with Officer Decker are some of the Middle School students who were in his class when  they were in fifth grade.

Most of Port Jervis knows Kelly Decker - either through his service as a police officer and D.A.R.E. instructor or as an active member of the community. Now, Officer Decker is serving his hometown in a new capacity - he's the School Resource Officer (SRO) for the Port Jervis School District.

As the district's first SRO, Decker remains a member of the Port Jervis Police Department, but through a cooperative agreement with the district, he now works full-time in the Port Jervis schools. His primary responsibility is to create a setting that is safe and secure, with a focus on prevention and early intervention activities. Decker will also use his 20-years of police experience to help enforce school rules, and serve as a positive role model, problem-solver, law enforcement resource, and community liaison.

While Decker's office is located in the Port Jervis Middle School, he will work closely with the students and staff members in all of the district schools. Decker, who has served as the Port Jervis D.A.R.E. program instructor since 2002, will continue to teach the drug and alcohol prevention program to students in the fifth grade and middle school.

The 1985 Port Jervis High School graduate says he is looking forward to working with the students on a daily basis. "This will give me more opportunities to help kids," said Decker.  "Instead of only having a few weeks to teach students about the importance of living drug-and-violence free lives, I'll now be able to reinforce this and other important issues throughout the school year," said Decker.

Building on the positive rapport that he already has with the hundreds of students who went through the D.A.R.E. program, Decker will also work to improve the image that kids - particularly teenagers - have about uniformed police officers. "Except for kids who moved into the district after fifth grade, I have taught all of the students currently in grades 5 to 11," said Decker, who wants to build upon this connection by interacting with students on a regular basis at school.

The father of four Port Jervis students, Officer Decker and his wife, Jill, are already actively involved in the schools attended by their sons - James, MacKenzie, Conner, and Jack. In addition to being a former PTA president, Decker is finishing his second year as advisor of the Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School yearbook. 

"Officer Decker is uniquely qualified to serve as the district SRO. Born and raised in Port Jervis, Officer Decker knows this community, our schools, and most importantly, our students," said Superintendent John Xanthis. "Anyone who has had the pleasure of attending one of his D.A.R.E. graduation ceremonies knows that Officer Decker always goes above and beyond when it comes to his students. I know his professionalism, enthusiasm, and genuine interest in our students will contribute greatly to the welfare of our schools."   
 
Click here to read the March 24 Times Herald-Record article on Officer Decker.