Ogden police outline expanded SRO and youth-engagement plans tied to Marshall White Center

Chief Jake Soumi said the Ogden Police Department is strengthening its school resource officer program and planning non‑enforcement youth engagement tied to the upcoming Marshall White Center reopening.

Chief Jake Soumi (Chief of Police) said the department created a full-time sergeant position to supervise SROs and that the new structure has enabled more non‑enforcement contacts — mentoring, summer engagement and targeted programming — in addition to traditional safety roles. He described a vision to preserve SRO continuity at individual schools when possible to maintain trusted relationships with students.

Soumi said programs planned for the Marshall White Center and summer months include Rad Kids (a short, free week-long resiliency and safety curriculum taught by officers), expanded youth‑academy opportunities, internships that expose high school students to police bureau work, and simulator-based de‑escalation training for officers. He said officers have volunteered to lead Rad Kids sessions and that the department hopes to run the first sessions this summer.

The chief and board members discussed ways to use the Marshall White Center to honor the late Officer Marshall White while embedding officers in non‑enforcement roles: camps, sports and recurring activities that preserve continuity between the school year and summer. Soumi said officers will receive training and that the department is considering a concentrated “research week” before school starts so SROs can rehearse emergency and non‑enforcement procedures.

Board members and district staff asked about coaches and whether SROs could help fill coaching roles. Soumi said full‑season coaching commitments can be difficult given staffing and time constraints, but he encouraged officer participation where feasible and emphasized that an officer’s role as a mentor or supportive presence — even when not coaching skills — can be valuable.

The Police Department also described the junior academy and a youth Citizens Academy as pathways to expose teens to law-enforcement careers and to build interest among local students for future recruitment. Soumi noted barriers — such as the minimum hiring age and potential intervening life events — but said internships and earlier exposure can improve recruitment of local, bilingual and community-rooted candidates.

Officials credited existing collaborations — an autism registry, weapons‑detection dog pilot (“Piper”), the youth court — and said they will continue cross‑agency work to place SROs and expand mentoring programs. No new funding or permanent staffing changes were approved during this meeting; the chief said planners are reviewing options and potential reallocations for summer programming.