By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
CHICAGO — The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) announced the 2024 recipient for the National School Resource Officer of the Year Award.
Officer Armando Dominguez of the Summit (Illinois) Police Department has been awarded the 2024 Floyd Ledbetter National School Resource Officer, NASRO stated.
The award “recognizes school resource officers (SROs) who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school districts,” NASRO said.
“Officer Dominguez has, in the words of his lieutenant, ‘transformed’ the middle school where he works,” said NASRO executive director Mo Canady. “Students routinely show their love for this SRO by, for example, yelling his name across the gym at basketball games or running across soccer fields just to say hello. The school district’s superintendent told us that Officer Dominguez has bridged gaps between the police department and families, served as a role model and mentor to students, and fostered lifelong relationships with his co-workers. People in need often seek out Officer Dominguez to resolve issues in schools and neighborhoods because he gives his all to support the needs of those who have come to depend upon him. In the process, he has helped prevent students from harming themselves or ending up behind bars. To quote the superintendent, ‘SRO Dominguez is the type of person we all aspire to be.’”
The award will be presented to Dominguez during a ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona on July 15 as part of NASRO’s National School Safety Conference.