During Joliet West’s prom on Friday, April 6, 2022, held at Tuscany Falls Banquets, Student Resource Officer (SRO) for the school, Jamare Price, joined the crowd of students to share a dance.

In a video spread around by students and featured on CBS2, Detective Price is seen dancing to the popular song “Dougie” while students cheer him on. Price also stuck around to dance to “Lean wit It, Rock wit It.”

The video has gained immense attention as it sheds light on connections between SROs and students. It also puts a different lens on Joliet West – differing from the attention that has been overwhelmingly negative during the 2021-2022 school year.

CBS2 reached out to Price to do a positive piece about what SROs do in schools and the important relationships built between students. He told CBS2, “I mean, you build some relationships with these kids – again, they’re your first interaction, sometimes, with law enforcement.”

Many students at the dance and after the fact thought the event and the popularity it’s received is comical. “I was dying,” said Senior Arriana May, “I love that they were able to dance and have fun…”

“It put a smile on my face to see the kids interacting with SRO Price, as well as the other faculty who danced some too; that’s what it’s all about,” said teacher and chaperone, Mrs. Diaz.
There are also two other SROs on campus to which Price humbly gave credit to in his interview with CBS Chicago.
Building relatioships is a focus that has always been an important piece to the School Improvement Plan.