School Resource Officer
The Boone County Sheriff's Department and four School Districts in our County, the Alpena School District, Bergman School District, Lead Hill School District, and the Valley Springs School District, have partnered to provide law enforcement protection and representation to students, and school staff on these school campuses.
These partnerships are part of the Boone County Sheriff's Office county-wide community policing strategy in that they provide a law enforcement officer in an area where many Boone County citizens are concentrated and many reports are generated on any given day during the school year.
The Sheriff's Office Supervisor of the School Resource Deputy Program is Lieutenant Dennis Lea. Lt Lea has served this area as a Law enforcement Officer since 1992. He has been a Deputy Sheriff with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office since March of 2000. He is also a United States military veteran. He is a law enforcement instructor, firearms instructor, and holds an active shooter certificate. He also is the Sheriff's Office defensive tactics instructor.
Lt. Lea is currently the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Community Policing Supervisor. In this position he is responsible for supervising those deputies serving as School Resource Officers and other deputies involved in community policing efforts. It is a core goal of the School Resource Deputies to promote safe learning environments for all students. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Lt. Lea are committed to promoting an atmosphere where, together with the school districts and the citizens of Boone County, we can provide training and safety to our County’s school systems and the entire community.
Deputy Douglas Becker is the School Resource Officer assigned to Bergman School District. His duties and responsibilities include school security, response to and investigation of reported crime, teaching of prevention classes and presentation of crime prevention and law enforcement related programs. Deputy Becker also teaches a 6th grade safety and drug prevention program that was implemented by the Bergman School Administration and is supported by the community. The 6th grade classes chose their own slogan and program; they call it "To Thine Own Self Be True".
Deputy Patrick Hirsh is the School Resource Officer for Lead Hill School District. He has been with the Boone County Sheriff's Office for 2 years. His duties include school security and safety for the students that attend Lead Hill, as well as response to and investigation of reported crimes. Coming from Dispatch, Patrick understands the importance of efficiency, patience and communication.
Deputy Erik Del-Real is the School Resource Officer assigned to the Alpena School District. His duties include school site security, investigating reported crimes, assisting the school district in maintaining a safe and secure environment, providing a positive role model for the youth, and providing educational presentations to the student body, faculty, and administration.
Deputy Del-Real comes from a migrant family, is bilingual, and is a Valley Springs High School graduate. Deputy Del-Real began his law enforcement career with the Boone County Sheriff's Office in 2016 as a 911 Dispatch Operator. In 2018 Deputy Del-Real attended the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden, Arkansas where he graduated at the top of his class as a Squad Leader. Deputy Del-Real holds a General Law Enforcement Certificate.