School Resource Officers Return |
Officers and Students Head Back to Class the Week |
School Resource Officers Return as Simi Valley Students Head Back to Class
As Simi Valley students return to classrooms for the 2026–27 school year, two familiar members of the Simi Valley Police Department will also be heading back to campus.
For more than 30 years, School Resource Officers have been part of a partnership between the City of Simi Valley, the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD), and the Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD). That partnership continues this year with two officers assigned to serve schools across the community.
Officer Amanda Torres will return as the School Resource Officer for campuses on the east side of Simi Valley. Officer Silvano Gonzalez will serve schools on the west side. Gonzalez joined SVPD in 2025 after previously serving with both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Oxnard Police Department.
School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement officers who receive specialized training for working in school environments. Their responsibilities include collaborating with school administrators and staff, responding to campus safety concerns, assisting with threat assessments and investigations, and serving as a resource for students, families, and school personnel.
With backpacks packed, schedules changing, and families settling back into the school-year routine, the return of SROs is another sign that a new school year is officially underway in Simi Valley.
And if students or parents happen to spot Officer Torres or Officer Gonzalez on campus, the City has one simple suggestion: say hello.
Source: City of Simi Valley, August 2026 newsletter. Read the City’s original School Resource Officer update here. |
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Glad the city and the school district kept this partnership going. Some cities have been cutting programs like this and I think that's a mistake.
I always tell my kids to introduce themselves to the officers on campus. Good reminder from the city to just say hello.
PatriciaVThat is such a good habit to teach them. My son was nervous around the officer at first but once he actually talked to him a few times it was totally different. Makes a real difference.
Two officers for the whole district seems thin to me. How many campuses are they each covering? Just wondering how that actually works day to day.
skeptical_simiI was curious about this too. From what I remember there are like 8 or 9 schools across the district, so each officer is probably covering 4 or 5 campuses. They rotate between sites rather than being at one school every single day. Not ideal but that seems to be the model most districts around here use.
My daughter was nervous about starting at a new school last year and one of the SROs took time to talk with her and calm her down. Small thing but it meant a lot to us.
Nice to see Officer Gonzalez bringing experience from both the sheriff's department and Oxnard PD. That's a solid background for this kind of work.
30 years of this program and people still debate whether SROs belong on campus. At this point the track record kind of speaks for itself.
Officer Torres has been great with the kids at our school. Really glad she is coming back for another year.
Maria G.Same experience here. My daughter said she actually feels comfortable going up to talk to her if something is bothering her, which honestly surprised me. That kind of trust is hard to build with teenagers.