The Richland County Sheriff’s Office and the Lucas Schools Board of Education have entered into an agreement with the Richland County Board of Commissioners to provide a full time School Resource Officer, (SRO). The deputy will be assigned to Lucas Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
Lucas Schools will pay 100% of the deputy’s wages for days school will be in session. The Richland County Commissioners have agreed to pay for the deputy’s wages when not assigned to the school.
Superintendents from Crestview and Lucas schools interviewed Deputy Jon Vanhouten for the position. Superintendent Brad Herman selected Deputy Jon Vanhouten for the position as both superintendents agreed that he would be a good fit for the position.
Vanhouten is a graduate of Fredericktown High School. He served 6 years in the Air National Guard. He also graduated from the North Central Technical College Police Academy in April of 1999. Since his graduation, he was a police officer at Lexington Police Department for over 19 years, was a member of Richland County’s SWAT team and recently joined the Richland County Sheriff’s Office in 2019. Vanhouten has coached Mansfield Senior High School’s Soccer Team the past 4 years and coached youth soccer 6 years prior in the Mansfield area. VanHouten said, “I have enjoyed coaching and inter-acting with youth and look forward to my role with Lucas Schools.”
The Sheriff’s Office has always had a great relationship with Superintendent Brad Herman and Lucas Schools.
There are now SROs at Madison, Crestview and Lucas Schools. The Sheriff’s Office would like to see SROs in all county schools, under the Sheriff’s jurisdiction, in the near future.