Every Calvert County Public School Now Covered By Resource Officers

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Every Calvert County public school has school resource officer coverage as the 2026-27 academic year begins, although the Sheriff’s Office is still working to fill the final position in its expanded program.

Sheriff Ricky Cox told the Calvert County Police Accountability Board on Aug. 26 that the program is about 98% staffed. One deputy is temporarily responsible for two nearby schools while the agency completes the hiring process.

“All the schools are covered,” Cox said. “We just have one position we still need to hire.”

The Sheriff’s Office does not publicly identify the schools sharing an officer, Cox said, citing security concerns.

The remaining position is expected to be filled by a contract officer. Cox said the agency had identified a promising candidate and scheduled an interview for the following week. Another applicant previously considered for the position did not complete the background process, delaying the final hire.

“We’re in the last little stages of that,” Cox said. “Hopefully, we can get him right in school, and then we’re good.”

The expansion follows the county’s decision to fund six additional school resource officer positions for the current fiscal year, allowing the program to extend beyond its previous focus on middle and high schools. The county said the additional positions would place an officer in each public school.

Cox said the department had to complete a significant amount of training after receiving funding for the additional positions in July.

“It was a lot of training crammed in there and getting those deputies certified to get them back into the schools,” he said.

School resource officers respond to safety concerns while also serving as mentors and instructors. According to Calvert County Public Schools, officers work with administrators and teachers, present classroom programs and build relationships with students.

Cox said the officers will teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program and help investigate reported threats involving students. Those investigations can include visiting a student’s home and conducting a threat assessment before the next school day.

“They’re role models in the schools,” Cox said. “You can see it in the hallways. They know their names.”

The expanded program began as Calvert students returned to class Aug. 25. Cox said the first day proceeded smoothly despite some late buses and other routine opening-day issues.

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