08/17/2026
‘Ready and excited’: Meeker moves from Oneida police patrol to school resource officer
From The Oneida Daily Dispatch
ONEIDA, N.Y. — Oneida City Police Sergeant David Meeker Jr. is moving on after 22 years of patrolling Oneida’s streets to a new location at Oneida High School, where he will serve as mentor and protector to students in his new role as school resource officer.
Meeker Jr. is starting his new role Wednesday, Aug. 19, when he will help maintain campus safety, deter crime, and mentor students.
“It’s a great school, and I look forward to working here,” he said.
A school resource officer is a sworn law enforcement officer assigned to a school ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade. Meeker Jr. is the son of the late David Meeker, who served as Oneida City Police Chief from 2000 to 2017.
Meeker Jr. has been with the Oneida police department since 2004. He received the Karl Taylor Award for making the most DWI arrests during 2006, including 28 DWI arrests, 391 traffic tickets, 130 other arrests, 51 parking tickets, and 983 complaints. Meeker also won the award in 2005.
On June 4, 2010, Meeker Jr. arrested Michael Allen, who was sentenced to one to three years in prison after pleading to third-degree attempted arson. Meeker Jr. said he saw Allen attempt to start a fire to a home on Seneca Street, the fourth such fire since May 2010, during a stakeout.
Meeker Jr. held Allen at gunpoint because he’d lost his handcuffs while pursuing Allen after Meeker Jr. commanded him to stop his actions. Meeker Jr. saw Allen toss an object over a fence before Allen fled. Authorities later recovered a light on scene.
The fire Allen allegedly started was the fourth on Seneca Street in less than a month. A fire on the same 421 Seneca St. property completely destroyed a garage May 10. Less than two weeks later, a fire caused extensive damage to a home at 429 Seneca St. Allen’s porch was set on fire May 30, causing minimal damage.
“I’m ready and excited to meet these students,” Meeker Jr. said.
SROs have core duties based on the triad model of law enforcement, education and informal counseling or mentoring.
SROs are present to enforce the law. During an emergency response, they act first during critical incidents, active threats, or safety emergencies on campus. SROs aid in crime prevention as they patrol school grounds, monitor visitor access and perform security audits.
SROs assist in crisis planning. They help school administrators design safety plans, crisis protocols, and run safety drills based on their law enforcement training. Deputies conduct realistic active-threat response training directly inside local school hallways and classrooms. The county also coordinates safety measures via the multi-agency Madison Threat Advisory Council.
SROs also help with incident investigation. They document criminal acts, interview witnesses, and handle formal law enforcement actions when necessary.
Education is a core aspect of SRO duties. They make time for classroom teaching and speak as guest lecturers on law-related topics like cyber safety, traffic laws or substance abuse.
Meeker will join his fellow SROs who serve as student mentors. They build trust and act as a positive role model or caring adult for youth. This includes helping students resolve personal disputes before they turn into physical fights or legal issues.
They do not enforce routine school rules, dress codes, or handle minor student misbehavior. These duties are left to teachers and principals.
“I’m looking forward to the new challenges of this job and working with students,” Meeker Jr. said.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office employs around 20 SROs and Special Patrol Officers across 10 school districts countywide. As of July 29, they are hiring SROs in the Cazenovia and DeRuyter school districts. Contact the sheriff’s office at (315) 366-2318.
On Monday, May 4, this year, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office SRO assigned to Otto Shortell Middle School in the Oneida City School District was made aware of a potential hit list found on school property.
The SRO immediately notified road patrol deputies and they investigated the incident. They found no credible threat to the Otto Shortell community and that no criminal action had occurred. Investigators referred the matter to the Oneida City School District for internal review.
Then, on Wednesday, May 6, the Otto Shortell school’s SRO learned of a second hit list that had been located on school property. Sheriff’s Office Investigators identified a juvenile student who advised that they had created the list. Investigators ensured that the involved juvenile had no access to weapons and ensured that their guardian was aware of the incident.
Investigators filed no charges in the incident due to the juvenile’s age. They also referred the incident to the Oneida City School District for internal review.
