Christiansburg High School has a new school resource officer. Sherri Neece has worked for the Christiansburg Police Department for two years but just recently started her new assignment.
Christiansburg High School Resource Officer Sherri Neece (left) discusses day-to-day activities with Athletic Director Tim Cromer and Principal Tony Deibler.
Principal Tony Deibler feels it makes a difference having an officer in-house.
“Nothing is more important than our students and our staff, so having a SRO in the building is paramount importance sadly in this day and age. Terrible things have happened across the country, so we need like this this to make our environment as safe as possible. Also, it helps to build relationships with the kids themselves,” he said.
Neece graduated from New River Community College and Radford University with a degree in criminal justice and picked up her master’s from Liberty University.
After graduation, she worked at the Western Regional Jail for two years before joining the Christiansburg force.
“I enjoy the school atmosphere and had always thought about working as a SRO,” she said.
So far on the job, Neece said she has enjoyed getting to know the student body and is adjusting to the school’s schedule. She hopes to continue the outstanding effort started in the past with the school’s Youth of Virginia Speak Out (YOVASO) program.
The group is a statewide, peer-to-peer advocacy program that empowers teenagers to work towards the prevention of their number one killer – motor vehicle crashes.
“This is a strong program that I would like to continue to build upon,” Neece said.
The town supplies three police officers to MCPS—one for CHS, a floater amongst the three elementary schools and another officer at the middle school.
