'Another Level Of Protection': All Bartlesville School Resource Officers Given New Ballistic Shields

In schools, safety is a big priority…and school resource officers are usually the first layer of protection.

But on Monday, 10 officers at Bartlesville Public Schools have been granted an additional layer.

“The shields are there to give the confidence and help them protect them whenever they go in to try to eliminate the threat,” said Kevin Lynch. 

He started by donating three ballistic shields to the district a few years ago, but he says he wanted to do more this time around.

So with some extra help from the Bartlesville community, Kevin helped raise enough money for the Stand 1st Foundation so each school resource officer in the district could have one.

The shields given cost nearly $28,000 in total, but the school resource officers got them for free.

“We see that ballistic shields are needed for law enforcement agencies in these critical positions and what's more critical than a school?” said Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton. 

He founded the Stand 1st Foundation, the group that helps get bullet-resistant shields for officers around the country. 

"If we can do it here, we can do it anywhere else," he said. 

“It’s great knowing that I have one in my vehicle, or that other officers have them in their office, that if we need it, we can just run and grab it, and that it will help give us another level of protection,” said Sergeant Kaleb Samson. 

While the community hopes they never have to be used, the shields make the schools feel a little safer. 

“We don’t like it, but it's part of our life now, and we need to do everything we can to try to help these kids feel safe coming to school,” Lynch said. 

To donate to the Stand 1st Foundation, CLICK HERE.