The Toms River Police School Resource Officer Unit began in 2001. It is a community policing program that places a Toms River Police Officer in each of the Toms River High Schools.  Additionally, a Special Law Enforcement Officer – Class III is assigned to each of Toms River’s intermediate and elementary schools. School Resource Officers, also known as SROs, are patrol officers with specialized training in school policing. They are assigned to the unit full time and are utilized to supplement patrol when schools are closed.

Each SRO conducts proactive patrol throughout the school campus and works closely with the school administrators and teaching staff to provide a safe environment for the students and staff. Each officer has an office in the school and utilizes a marked patrol vehicle.

In addition to their law enforcement duties, they interact with students and educate them in the law. Frequently they are utilized as guest lecturers in the classroom. Together with the school staff, they help solve problems and are an available resource for students and parents. The program has successfully improved the relationship between the police and young people in the community. The officers are involved in school emergency planning and response as well as emergency drills.

Each School Resource Officer is a liaison between the school they are assigned and the Toms River Police Department. The Department is proud of the longstanding relationship it has with the Toms River Schools. The School Resource Officers are Officer Victor Tamaro for High School North, Officer Lawrence DiFabio for High School South, and Officer John Mehl for High School East.

The unit is part of the Community Affairs Division and is supervised by Lieutenant Gene Bachonski gbachonski@trpolice.org and Sergeant Ed Mooney emooney@trpolice.org.