Former Benton sheriff has a new gig. See what ‘Mr. Tom’ is up to
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tom Croskrey, former Benton County sheriff, joined Lincoln Elementary as safety officer.
- District program places retired officers in elementary schools to boost campus safety.
- Program funded by the district operations levy, which is up for renewal in February.
Benton County’s former sheriff has a new gig.
After decades of keeping a watch on crime, Tom Croskrey will now keep his eye out for the safety and wellbeing of students at Lincoln Elementary School.
Kennewick School District hired him Oct. 31 to be a school safety officer. He’ll work full-time at the school serving 400 students.
“Mr. Tom” says he had a longtime interest of working in public schools and wanted to help support security at the elementary school level. He also has grandchildren attending Kennewick schools.
“The staff here has been awesome and very welcoming. The best part has been meeting the kids and hearing all their stories,” he said in an announcement by the school district.
In addition to the sheriff’s department, Croskrey’s resume also includes time served with the Richland Police Department and U.S. Air Force.
“After more than 30 years in law enforcement, we’re grateful he’s chosen to support and protect our elementary schools,” Kennewick Superintendent Lance Hansen said in a statement. “Our safety officers are dedicated to keeping our schools safe so students can focus on learning.”
It’s a pretty quick pivot for the former sheriff, who announced his resignation in September. Croskrey was originally appointed to the sheriff role in 2021, following the recall of Jerry Hatcher, and later won a four-year term in 2022.
He resigned saying that he had set out to accomplish his goals of making the office more stable, and with plans to spend more time with family.
The district’s school safety officer program was established in 2023 to place retired law enforcement officers in Kennewick’s elementary schools. It helped buoy support for levy funding after the Kennewick School District experienced a double-levy failure in 2022.
The program builds upon the district’s relationship with the Kennewick Police Department, though it’s separate from the school resource officer program, which places cops in middle schools and high schools.
Croskrey and more than a dozen other school safety officers work to engage with students and keep them safe. They walk students to campus, play with them at recess, support crossing guards and monitor campus activity during the school day.
While armed and outfitted with a radio, these officers do not have the power to make arrests, conduct investigations nor issue citations. They are required to undergo a background check and active shooter training with Kennewick Police Department.
The school safety officer program is funded through Kennewick School District’s operations levy, which is up for renewal in February.
The four-year, $128 million in local funding will also extend funding for other foundational and enrichment programs, such as athletics, teachers, school nurses, librarians, graduation coordinators and extracurricular activities if passed.
Local funding and a state levy equalization match makes up about 13% of Kennewick’s total annual budget.
