Ogden Police outline plan to expand school resource officer youth engagement and summer programming

Ogden Police leadership told city and school officials that the department intends to expand the role of school resource officers (SROs) beyond traditional enforcement and to invest in training and summer programming designed to sustain school–officer relationships year-round.

Chief Jake Soumi (Ogden Police Department) said the department created a full-time sergeant position to supervise its SRO program and that the role has enabled more non‑enforcement engagement, relationship-building and coordination with schools. “Having a supervisor and a sergeant that is directly over that can help message this out, can go to these schools and interact with the different SROs,” the chief said.

Why it matters: Police and district officials said strong SRO relationships can reduce adversarial interactions, support students through non‑enforcement contacts, and create continuity that helps at-risk youth. Officials linked expanded SRO engagement to summer programming and to new space at the rebuilt Marshall White Center.

Planned programming and training Police officials described a suite of proposals and existing efforts: - A focus on non‑enforcement contacts and mentoring during the school year, with more intentional summer engagement so relationships are not lost during the break. - Summer youth programming tied to Marshall White Center and school facilities, including Rad Kids, a week‑long program officers would instruct to teach personal safety, bullying resistance and internet safety. Chief Soumi said the department hopes to offer Rad Kids this summer. - A “research week” concept: scheduled, scenario-based SRO training a few weeks before school to rehearse emergency responses and non‑enforcement interactions using the department’s virtual simulator and curriculum. - Junior Academy and internship pathways for high school students: the department operates a junior academy and offers internships that expose students to multiple parts of the department. Officials said these programs can introduce students to law enforcement careers and help recruit local candidates over the longer term.

Operational considerations Chief Soumi said the department will weigh rotations and staffing stability for SRO positions to preserve relationships: when an SRO becomes well‑integrated in a school, removing that officer can weaken continuity. He also said the department will prioritize training for crisis and disability-aware responses; the department referenced an autism registry and specialized training modules used in both the simulator and officer curricula.

Multiple speakers praised the existing police–district partnership and asked that the department make youth programming accessible to district students most likely to benefit from mentoring. Officials flagged resource and staffing constraints as limits on full‑season coaching-level commitments by officers, but said officers frequently volunteer to participate in coaching and local youth activities.

Ending Police and district leaders said they will continue coordinating on SRO assignments, training, summer youth programming and targeted recruitment of students interested in law enforcement careers. The department described initial timelines and pilot offerings for the coming summer but did not record a binding agreement or budget allocation during the meeting.