Students at Rock Canyon High School are getting a unique exposure to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office – first hand. Deputy Rick Kiesow (pictured to the left) is the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Rock Canyon High School and Rocky Heights Middle School.

“As an SRO, I get a chance to interact with the students on a one-on-one basis,” says Deputy Kiesow, “and that helps students learn a different perspective about law enforcement.”

Deputy Kiesow has been a sworn member of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office since 1998, and has been assigned as the SRO for Rock Canyon High School since the school opened three years ago. Kiesow’s primary function at the school is maintaining safety for the students and staff.

Education in the classrooms is a secondary role he serves on the campus. Kiesow speaks to the students on a variety of topics, including drug education and awareness, the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, driver safety, and gangs. “Students seem most interested in learning about drug and alcohol awareness,” according to Kiesow.

Kiesow has future plans to invite officers assigned to the traffic division to come into the science classes on campus. He wants to educate the students about the co-efficient of friction, skids, and the concept that once something is set into motion (like a car), the objects inside the car stay in motion even after the car stops. Awareness of the consequences of a particular action may help students make better decisions in their lives.

Deputy Kiesow has an office on the school campus and can usually be found Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “I have an open-door policy, and I encourage students and parents to come directly to me with any questions about issues relating to the school and the community,” says Kiesow.

In light of the marijuana drug arrest at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch this past December, Kiesow cautions people to get the facts about a situation before spreading rumors. “There are issues with drugs in every school around the country, but our school is safe and the administration, along with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, works diligently to keep those issues out of the schools.”

For more information about the SRO program at Rock Canyon High School, contact Deputy Rick Kiesow at 303-387-3016 or e-mail the school at www.dcsdk12.org/secondary/rchs.