photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Members of Lawrence's school resource officers program are, from left, Officer Bailey Salsbury, Southwest Middle School; Officer Lindsay Bishop, West Middle School; Corporal Kacey Wiltz, Free State High School; Lt. Myrone Grady, program supervisor and executive officer of Community Engagement and Diversity; Corporal Amaury Collado, Lawrence High School; Officer James Browning, Billy Mills Middle School; Corporal Dean Kemppainen, Liberty Memorial Central Middle School.

The Lawrence Police Department’s School Resource Officer program has received a national award for its policies and standards.

The Model Agency Award from the National Association of School Resource Officers is given to agencies that have demonstrated a “creative and innovative approach to school-based policing,” according to a release from the department.

The award also recognizes agencies that fulfill NASRO’S standards for its Triad model, which instructs officers to focus on being a teacher, informal counselor and law enforcement officer, according to the NASRO website.

SROs are assigned to middle and high schools throughout Lawrence and are focused on building relationships with students and teachers as well as providing immediate law enforcement assistance when needed, the release said.

“We know an exemplary School Resource Officer Program directly impacts the lives of our children and we’re grateful for the partnership we have with Lawrence Public Schools. I know, from experience, our schools serve students of varying backgrounds, and a good SRO program impacts these kids directly every single day. I am a proud former SRO and remain extremely proud to lead the professional and caring officers we have in our schools today,” said Lt. Myrone Grady, Executive Officer of Community Engagement and Diversity with the Lawrence Police Department.

Grady leads the student resource officer program and was named Student Resource Officer of the Year by the Kansas Juvenile Officers Association in 2011, as the Journal-World reported. Another Lawrence SRO also won that award in 2022, Officer Shelby Brouhard.