S.C. Elementary School Resource Officer Fired After DHS Investigation

  • By Matt Jones
  • March 17, 2021

A school resource officer from an elementary school in Westminster, S.C., was fired last week following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff Michael Crenshaw said in a statement that John Towery was fired as both the Fair-Oak Elementary School SRO and an employee with the sheriff’s office after the department was made aware of a federal investigation. Crenshaw said that the investigation has been ongoing for several months and that his office provided assistance after being briefed on the facts of the case. Towery was fired on Thursday, March 11.

“This is an ongoing investigation, so as you know, I can’t share specific details,” Crenshaw said. “I will share with you that, based on what I know at this time, John’s involvement in this investigation occurred outside of our county and does not involve any citizens from our county, nor any other employees of our department. The Sheriff’s Office embraces high standards of accountability in our mission statement. I hold our employees to the high standard that our citizens expect from law enforcement.”

Towery joined the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office in 2012, said Crenshaw, and before that was an employee of the Edisto Beach Police Department.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at MJones@1105media.com

Featured

  • California School District Modernizes Surveillance System

    i-PRO Co., Ltd. (formerly Panasonic Security), a provider of professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, recently announced that the Murietta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) in Riverside County, CA, has undertaken a project to modernize its first-generation surveillance system to new high-resolution i-PRO network cameras, and the i-PRO Video Insight video management system (VMS). Read Now

  • RAD Makes History with First Robotic Dog Deployed to Taylor Police Department

    Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc. (RAD), a subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc., recently announced that it has delivered a RADDOG LE to the Taylor, Michigan Police Department. The delivery of RADDOG LE to the Taylor Police Department marks a historic moment in the integration of technology within law enforcement. This milestone underscores RAD’s commitment to revolutionizing the landscape of security and public safety through cutting-edge AI-powered, robotic solutions. Read Now

  • Passing the Test

    The discussion about secured access and access control for higher education and K-12 is continuously expanding and evolving. That is a good thing. The more knowledge we gain and the more solutions that become available, linked and interoperable, the better and higher the level of security and safety. Read Now

  • Driving a Major Shift

    One of the driving forces for change has been the high demand for unified solutions. Users are asking their vendors for a way to manage all their security systems through a single interface, from a single pane. This has led to a flurry of software development to seamlessly integrate access control systems with video surveillance, intrusion detection, visitor management, health monitoring, analytics with artificial intelligence (AI), and more. Read Now

Most   Popular

Webinars