BELLEFONTE AREA
SCHOOL NEWS
814-355-4814 • www. basd. net
Bellefonte Area School District Police: Safety Through Relationships by Brett Hanlon
The Bellefonte Area School District Police team remains committed to its primary goal: providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students and staff. Our approach is holistic, blending proactive security measures with a deep, sustained emphasis on building positive relationships within the school community.
An Experienced and Dedicated Team: The BASD Police force is composed of five sworn, dedicated law enforcement professionals: Officer Frank Gaus, Officer Scott Rossman, Officer Brett Hanlon, Officer Mike Lyons, and Officer Shawn Luse. This team brings an exceptional depth of knowledge and experience to the district, collectively representing over 120 years of combined law enforcement experience.
The team structure includes two School Resource Officers( SROs) who are members of the Bellefonte Borough Police Department, and three School Police Officers( SPOs), direct employees of the Bellefonte Area School District. These officers provide daily coverage across our six buildings- four elementary schools, the middle school, and the high school- ensuring a visible and consistent security presence throughout the district.
The Core Principle- Building Officer-Student Relationships: The foundation of our district-wide safety strategy is the belief that a safe school is built on trust and positive connections. Our officers are deliberately focused on fostering strong relationships with students, leveraging their inherent interpersonal skills to become approachable mentors, coaches, and resources, not just figures of authority.
This relationship-centered approach is evident in their daily interactions:
• Positive Visibility: Officers are highly visible during critical times, including school entry, dismissal, lunch periods, and large school gatherings. At the elementary level, this often means frequent high-fives and fistbumps, creating an immediate, friendly connection with younger students.
• Coaching and Mentorship: Several officers enhance their relationship with students by volunteering to coach sports teams within the school district, extending their mentorship role beyond the classroom and into extracurricular activities.
• Classroom Education: Our team actively participates in classroom education, delivering vital lessons that position officers as valuable subject matter experts. Programs include internet safety classes, Survival 101, drug awareness initiatives, " Golf Cart Fatal Vision," " What ' s Lethal " workshops, distracted driving awareness, and traffic stop safety for new drivers.
The BASD Police team is more than a security detail; they are a vital, integrated component of the educational environment, ensuring that a safe and supportive atmosphere allows students to thrive.
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