New school resource officer assigned to Talent Middle School

TALENT, Ore. – Talent Middle School is welcoming a new school resource officer.

Officer Ernie Whiteman Sr. was once a school resource officer at North Medford High School before he retired from the Medford Police Department in 2014.

Now, Officer Whiteman works with the Talent Police Department. On April 3, it was announced he’ll serve as a part-time resource officer at Talent Middle School through the rest of the school year.

According to Talent police, the resource officer program is part of a pilot project being conducted with the Phoenix-Talent School District. It’s funded until the end of the school year.

School resource officer programs are typically created to promote safety at schools so a healthy learning environment can be fostered.

Officers often receive special training in how to better communicate with students about various issues like the criminal justice system, drugs, alcohol, gangs and internet safety.