HCSO receives Exemplary School Safety Award

GAINESVILLE - The School Safety Advocacy Council has awarded the Hall County Sheriff's Office with its Exemplary School Safety Award for 2009.

In selecting the sheriff's office for the award, the group reviewed the performance of two initiatives utilized by the School Resource Officers: the Drug Information Reward Program and the Drug Detection Dogs utilized in Hall County schools.

Since the inception of these two programs, the sheriff's department says there has been a 59% reduction in school drug arrests and a 65% reduction in weapons violations, providing the key component in keeping drugs and weapons out of schools.

Also this summer, the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) awarded Sgt. Earl Roach, the School Resource Officer at East Hall High School, with the Regional Exceptional Service Award, which recognizes excellence in maintaining a School Resource Officer program.

In addition, 1st Lt. Joe Carter received the NASRO Presidential Citation, for his "loyalty, dedication and support" of the association. Carter serves as the NASRO regional director for Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

These awards come on the heels of the NASRO award to the Hall County Sheriff's Office as a Model Agency of the Year in 2008.

â