Silver Creek SRO receives Excellence in Education Award

St. Vrain Valley School District has recognized a retiring school resource officer for the Excellence in Education Award.

St Vrain Valley School District, or SVVSD, Superintendent Dr. Don Haddad has given Silver Creek High School Resource Officer Staci Stallings the Excellence in Education award. The award recognizes exemplary initiative and accomplishment that advances performance, achievement, well-being and service to thes school district community, according to SVVSD Communications Officer Kerri McDermid.

“I’m incredibly honored to receive the Excellence in Education award from SVVSD and Dr. Haddad,” Stallings said. “Education and building relationships truly became such a big part of my job as a police officer and  … a school resource officer, and it’s very fulfilling to see that work was recognized and impactful.”

Officer Stallings has served as a police officer in Longmont for fourteen years, and as a school resource officer, or SRO, at Silver Creek High School for seven-and-a-half. When the previous Silver Creek SRO transferred to another division, he suggested Stallings apply. Stallings said she’d considered an SRO position before but was early in her career and felt she needed a more solid foundation before pursuing it. 

“When the Silver Creek position was opening, I spent a few days with the SRO there, met staff and some students, and taught some classes at the Student Police Academy,” Stallings said. “Although it was a completely different environment than working the street on patrol, I could sense there would be so much potential to have an impact and mentor youth, and I got really excited about that opportunity.”

SRO Stallings was nominated by Silver Creek High School principal Erick Finnestead to recognize the work she’s done in support of the students and staff at Silver Creek, and for the Longmont community as a whole. 

“Stallings puts forward her whole heart into the support of kids in our community over the last seven years,” Finnestead said. “What I’m going to miss most about SRO Stallings after her retirement are her infectious smile and her ability to connect with a wide variety of audiences regardless of the situation.”

SRO Stallings helped teach classes as part of the elective Student Police Academy while the program was still in operation. After it was discontinued, Stallings and her partner Officer Ryan Douglas were invited into classrooms to teach a variety of subjects, including drug and alcohol awareness, crisis response, the rights of citizens and restorative justice practices. 

Finnestead highlighted Stalling’s work with restorative practices, and the district’s collaboration with Longmont Community Justice Partnership, or LCJP, as one of the many reasons he nominated her. Stallings helped students navigate mistakes, allowing them to take ownership of those mistakes and make amends to the impacted parties. 

“She’s done one heck of a job bringing forth opportunities for restorative justice in the community. We often hear some of the negatives with SROs,” Finnestead said. “I’d like to say she’s been incredibly positive in helping kids avoid life-changing consequences by allowing them to engage in the restorative justice process.”

Restorative practices focus on relationships over punishment when a conflict or incident arises. The process gives all parties an opportunity to communicate and reach a solution without entering into the conventional justice system. SVVSD has worked with LCJP for more than a decade to bring restorative practices to schools.

“What it’s led me to believe as a principal is that while they may have made a mistake, that mistake won’t define them,” Finnestead said. “What will define them is how they respond to it, and how they’re able to right their own ship and support the people they may have adversely impacted.”

With this past school year being the final one for Stallings as an SRO, Finnestead noted the impact she had on both students and staff at Silver Creek.

“I’ve worked with several SROs over the course of my career and Stallings is just an incredibly caring soul,” Finnestead said. “As this chapter comes to a close, I’ll miss working with her on a daily basis because she always put her best foot forward to positively impact the kids and community at Silver Creek while also keeping us safe. Thanks so much for keeping our school safe, for treating our kids with respect and being a valued member of the Longmont community.”