Ogden police outline expanded SRO youth engagement and Marshall White programming

Ogden police officials described plans to expand school resource officer (SRO) programming, increase non‑enforcement youth engagement and use the rebuilt Marshall White Center to host mentorship and prevention activities.

Chief Jake Soumi (chief of police) told the joint session the department has created a full‑time sergeant position to supervise SROs and is prioritizing non‑enforcement contacts to build relationships with students. “My vision as a new chief… is really to continue to build that relationship that our SROs have with the students, with the faculty,” Chief Soumi said.

Why it matters: Officials said consistent SRO assignments and summer programming can maintain student‑officer connections year‑round, potentially reducing gaps when students lose contact with supportive adults during school breaks.

Chief Soumi described plans to run more youth‑facing programming in the summer, to coordinate SROs with recreation and Marshall White Center activities, and to run a Rad Kids self‑protection and resilience program staffed by officers. He said the department wants officers to act as mentors and to be available for targeted outreach rather than only responding to enforcement incidents.

Soumi also described a push to evaluate rotation policies so high‑performing SROs can remain in schools with which they’ve built durable relationships. He said the department already runs a junior academy, internships for high school students and has a virtual simulator used for training that includes scenarios on autism and mental‑health interactions.

Marshall White Center programming: Police and city leaders said the rebuilt Marshall White Center offers an opportunity to honor officer Marshall White and to host youth programming that pairs officers and students in non‑enforcement activities. Chief Soumi said the department plans to pilot Rad Kids sessions there in the coming summer and to explore other mentoring and recreation partnerships.

Officers and district staff highlighted additional programs: a weapons‑detection dog named Piper, youth court participation with officers present, joint summer events and internships that expose students to a range of public‑safety careers.

The chief emphasized the department will continue training and preparedness for emergency response while expanding prevention and relationship building: “First and foremost, we're always gonna factor safety and security… However, that is such a small percentage of what an SRO is doing each day,” Chief Soumi said.

No departmental policy vote took place at the meeting; officials presented planned programs and requested continued collaboration with the school district and recreation staff to implement summer programming and sustained SRO assignments.