Sheriff Derek Sanders urges Tumwater School Board to explore options for a second school resource officer

Sheriff Derek Sanders of Thurston County told the Tumwater School Board that recent staffing shortages in local law enforcement have affected the district's ability to maintain a second school resource officer (SRO) and asked the board to explore options to restore that coverage.

Sanders introduced himself at the meeting and said he had met with Superintendent Kevin about SRO staffing last year. "My name is Derek Sanders. I'm the sheriff of Thurston County," he said, and asked the board to consider multiple ways to address the gap, including the sheriff's office supplying an additional officer, the city providing SRO coverage, expanding the district's own security staff, or contracting for private security while noting his preference for commissioned officers.

The sheriff outlined logistics the county and city could consider, such as providing office space at schools for officers and coordinating with district planning staff to estimate costs and timelines. He emphasized the SRO model as a three-part role—"law enforcement, educator and mentor"—and said that commissioned officers who receive specific SRO training are distinct from private security or untrained on-site guards.

The board did not record a motion or vote on the topic in the transcript. Board members and district leaders, according to remarks in the meeting, asked staff to continue working with the sheriff's office and municipal partners and to bring recommendations back to a future meeting so the board could weigh costs, training and placement options. The transcript contains no formal action, and no timeline or deadline for a follow-up report was specified.

Sheriff Sanders thanked district administrators and local police for their time and reiterated his support for SROs in schools while acknowledging operational limits on law-enforcement staffing and calls for service. The meeting adjourned at 7:01 p.m.