Newton Police Department names new SRO

The Newton Police Department has named its second school resource officer. Officer Tom McDonnell will serve the Newton Community School District at Berg Middle School.

McDonnell has been with the NPD for the past four years and is currently working to complete his 40-hour National Association of School Resource Officers training course to get ready to transition into his new assignment.

A member of the NPD since late 2015, he has been served on the night shift while on duty. McDonnell was born and raised in DeWitt. After high school, he spent four years in the U.S. Army with a deployment to Afghanistan.

“When my time in the Army ended, I wanted to continue a job of service and began looking for police opportunities and found Newton,” McDonnell said.

Being an SRO is different than being a regular patrol officer because it deals with students in schools rather than patrolling the streets.

“I wanted to become an SRO because it is a role of community engagement, teaching and being a mentor,” McDonnell said.

Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess added, “It is not normal police work. You are working with kids ... It is less enforcement and more of that relationship building and prevention.”

According to Burdess, the assignment will range from three to four years and after that time period, the officer will return back to normal patrol, but with some added skills to bring back to the streets.

“The benefits of that are huge because now they have a connection with hundreds and hundreds of kids a patrol officer that has never been in that position would have,” Burdess said.

McDonnell said the selection process started with a letter of interest to the chief after the position became available. Afterward, McDonnell had an interview with supervisors from the NPD and administrators from the school district to see if he was the best fit.

The role of SRO serves to not only make the school a safer place to learn but to also mentor children and help them through the experience.

“I am here to help and to do my best to provide a safe learning environment for the Newton Community School District,” McDonnell said.

Burdess added, “Tom has been doing a good job for us and we expect he will continue to do a good job in the schools.”

Current SRO, Julie Britton, has been serving in the role since 2016 and will remain in the position this school year. The Newton Daily News previously reported in February the NCSD Board of Education voted in favor of adding an additional SRO to the district. The Newton City Council followed suit and approved the 28E Agreement with the school board.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com