The network employed a resource officer before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and network leaders annually assessed the potential benefits of rehiring an officer since 2021.

With ongoing network expansion beginning in 2025 – including multiple campuses and record numbers of enrolled students and employees – the start of the new 2026 calendar year was deemed the right time to enhance our campus safety.

A thoughtful hiring search was launched in January 2026, a process that included interviews with individuals and agencies, ultimately leading to the hire of IMPD Officer Phillip Espique in March, in partnership with Mobile Force Security company.

The SRO is an invested member of our school network community who will perform their duties with compassion, caring, and professionalism.

Network leaders encourage families to warmly welcome the SRO when they meet the officer in a school building, at a VCP event, or during arrival and dismissal procedures.

The SRO will often be stationed at the front offices of our VCP campus locations during the school day.

How will the SRO support two VCP campuses?
The SRO will rotate between the Sloan Avenue Campus and Bethel Avenue Campus at the discretion of network leaders and based on variables like scheduled events, behavior trends, and fluctuations in personnel due to sick time or vacation time that may limit the number of faculty and staff members present at a campus on a given day.

Can I reach the SRO directly if I have a concern, question, or feedback?
Part of the SRO’s role at VCP is to regularly engage with our families and employees, and the officer is available to answer questions or receive reports about concerns.

The SRO can be reached at phillip.espique@vcpindy.org. 

Does the SRO’s presence mean that arrests might happen at a VCP campus? Does the SRO have the arrest powers?

The SRO is a sworn officer of the law with arrest powers. However, the VCP School Network maintains our commitment to restorative discipline practices, and an arrest on campus would be considered a last resort response in a very extreme, rare circumstance when our campus faces a direct and immediate safety threat. 

What are the goals and objectives for the SRO?
The SRO will promote and provide an atmosphere of enhanced
school safety for faculty, staff, students, and school visitors by

• increasing student awareness about crime prevention, internet safety, conflict resolution, violence prevention, restorative justice, and peer mediation;
• Increasing school faculty and staff awareness about policies and procedures for preventing/responding to incidents of violence and other threats to school safety;
• facilitating crime prevention and law enforcement as necessary;
• building lines of communication and promoting positive attitudes between students and VCP faculty, staff, and administrators;
• serving as a positive role model to the school network community.

Is the SRO in charge of discipline in my student’s VCP school?
The SRO may enforce school rules; however, the SRO is not a school disciplinarian. Matters of school behavior policies and discipline are led and coordinated by school leaders, such as the Principal, Assistant Principal, or Dean. 

Does the SRO’s presence change how VCP considers immigration policy?
The SRO is contractually prohibited from detaining or questioning VCP students or family members about their immigration status.