Local students meet Saratoga’s Sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis
There’s a new face patrolling Saratoga schools this year: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis. He’s the new school resource officer for all of Saratoga’s schools, both public and private.
School resource officers are meant to keep schools safe, provide education on preventative measures and intervene when problems occur.
“As quiet as it is in Saratoga, there are times when you need someone you can call on in law enforcement to make sure that students and families are taken care of,” Saratoga High School principal Paul Robinson said. “Our students feel safe on campus and in the community because they know adults care about them.”
A regular day for Davis can include anything from leading presentations on bullying and social media to intervening on a narcotics issue or playing basketball with elementary school students.
Records at the Saratoga Union School District show that a contract for school resource officers with the Sheriff’s office was formalized in the 2008-09 school year, but staff recall that the availability of resource officers began around 2000.
“I want kids to know that, yes, we are law enforcement,” Davis said, “but we’re here to be that liaison between the schools and the sheriff’s office and show that, yes, there’s a lot going on with controversies with law enforcement, especially with social media, and we’re here to kind of bridge that gap and show that we can be one of them as well. They can relate to us and talk to us on any type of personal matter.”
Davis has been with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department for three years in several capacities: first in the court security division, then at the San Jose headquarters, then in the county parks patrol division and now for the West Valley Patrol Division specifically in Saratoga.
But he’s not alone. When Davis gets tied up on a call at one school and needs backup at another school, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathan Brand—primarily a traffic enforcement officer—is on hand. Brand has been with the sheriff’s department for seven years.
Prior to joining the sheriff’s department, Davis worked with the Union City Recreation Department for 10 years instructing youth on leadership skills. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University East Bay.
“We believe we are better prepared as a staff to ensure safety of students, because of (Davis’) training us on effectively handling potential emergencies,” said Saratoga Union School District Superintendent Nancy Johnson. “He also helps us to communicate with students and parents about the everyday application of the law to school life, as needed. His background in youth recreation work is a definite plus as he interacts with students on all our campuses.”
Davis said there’s nothing like kids running over and greeting him during a tough day.
“There was one time when Deputy Brand and I were at an elementary school teaching ‘stranger danger’ and it was during recess,” Davis said, adding that Brand “was playing wall ball and I was playing basketball, the kids just loved it. They were asking, ‘What are you doing on our campus?’ And we told them, ‘We’re here to play games with you guys,” and they saw a different side of law enforcement. That’s probably the best part.”
Davis also serves as the neighborhood resource officer for Saratoga, the main contact for Neighborhood Watch-related matters and community events.
His goal is to set a positive image of the sheriff’s department for youth.
“Yes they see the uniform,” Davis said, “but we’re normal people as well and can be there if they need any assistance.”