Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday announced Julie Q. Smith will serve as the first Director of the Office of School Safety.
Smith recently retired from the Columbus Police Department as a sergeant and previously oversaw the city’s School Resource Officer Division. She is a former school resource officer for Bartholomew County Schools.
“Providing a safe and secure environment for Hoosier students to learn and grow is a top priority for me both as Governor and as a father and grandfather. Our Office of School Safety puts that priority into action, and Sergeant Julie Q. Smith is uniquely qualified and dedicated to this mission to strengthen our schools and help students thrive,” Braun said.
Smith is a national instructor for the National Association of School Resource Officers as well as regional director for the Midwest states, and is president of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association.
“I’ve dedicated my career to keeping students safe, and it’s an honor to put my experience to work strengthening Indiana schools and communities as the Director of the Office of School Safety,” she said.
Braun created the Office of School Safety as part of his public safety agenda.
Indiana’s Secured School Safety Board will be absorbed by Braun’s Office of School Safety. The board, already under the Department of Homeland Security, oversees millions of dollars in annual safety grants awarded to Indiana schools.
Last year, for example, the board approved $24 million in safety grant funding shared to nearly 500 Indiana schools. In the new state biennial budget, the amount grows to to $27.1 million each year.
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