Pictured from Left to Right: Officer Quentin Giles, Officer Mike Bort, Officer Kevin Sodeholm, Officer Randy Andrews and Officer David VanOrden (photo provided).
HOMER, N.Y. — The Homer Central School District and the Village of Homer Police Department are adding additional officers into the district's School Resource Officer (SRO) program.
Quentin Giles, who recently retired from the New York State Police after 21 years of service, has been assigned to Homer Elementary School. He was stationed at the Homer state police barracks. Giles was a K-9 handler who holds several certificates to carry firearms and pepper spray. He participated in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attacks and recently attended the basic SRO school in Binghamton.
Officer Mike Bort is returning to the Homer Central High School, where he was an SRO during the spring of 2018. Officer Bort retired from the Manlius Police Department after 21 years of service. While there, Bort served as an SRO for 6 years at the East Syracuse-Minoa School District.
Officer Kevin Sodeholm, who recently retired from the Syracuse Police Department after 19 years of service, has been assigned evening duties at the school district. Soderholm was a K-9 handler with the Syracuse Police Department and a former firefighter with the Fayetteville Fire Department.
Officer Randy Andrews retired from the Dewitt Police Department in 2017, where he worked patrol and investigations. During his last seven years, he was the department's juvenile investigator. He also worked for the City of Cortland Police Department before transferring to Dewitt. He was assigned to the Homer Junior High School.
Officer David VanOrden retired from the Homer Police Department in 2015 after 25 years of service. He started as the evening SRO immediately after his retirement. Prior to retirement, he held the rank of sergeant and was the department's juvenile officer. He has been assigned to the Homer Intermediate School.
