Officer David Watts, the school police officer at Quaker Valley Middle School, will be recognized by The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) for his excellence in school-based policing at the 2023 National School Safety Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I am honored that the community, faculty, and administration has accepted me as one of their own,” said Officer Watts. “That is the best award that I could ever receive. I humbly accept this award, but I owe the greatest debt to the entire District Admin, Chief Vanatta, faculty, and staff for allowing me to serve.”
Most know Officer Watts as a smiling face and an elbow bump in the crosswalk as students enter Quaker Valley Middle School each morning. Watts also serves as a member of the school’s safety committee, student wellness team, student assistance program (SAP), and behavioral threat assessment and management team, among other duties.
“Officer Watts is pure joy! He is respected by all and is recognized for his expertise and unparalleled ability to connect with students of all ages and backgrounds. Quaker Valley Middle School is genuinely a better place because Officer Watts is a part of it,” said Middle School Principal Dr. Anthony Mooney. “In fact, the students, faculty, staff, and administration are better for having had the opportunity to work with and learn from him. He is, without question, a truly outstanding example of leadership, kindness, respect, and duty.”
“Being a school police officer in Quaker Valley is more than just keeping the students, the staff, and the property safe and secure,” Watts reflected. “There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them.”
Officer Watts was nominated for the Regional Exceptional Service Award for his dedication and support to the faculty, staff, and students at Quaker Valley Middle School. He was selected to receive this prestigious award for Region 3. This region includes all of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Exceptional Service Awards are presented to those individuals for continuous and sustained service to the school community above and beyond that expected of the average School Resource Officer.
In addition to his years of service as a Pennsylvania State Trooper, Officer Watts also has hundreds of hours of specialized training and professional development through the NASRO Basic School Resource Officer Course and the annual School Safety Conference.
Chief of School Police Aaron Vanatta describes Watts as “Very humble. He does not seek out recognition. In all my years in school-based policing, I have never met or seen anyone more deserving of this award. He goes above and beyond every day to make every kid feel as equally as special as the next one. I nominated him because I wanted him to know that we truly appreciate what he does and that he is a very special person who we are very lucky to have in our District.”
The relationships he has built with staff, students, families, and local first responders are at the core of his work. His nomination states, “Every day is not just a ‘workday’ for him. It is spending time with those considered friends and family and looking out for their safety every day.”
Officer Watts ensures he makes contact with every student at Quaker Valley Middle School as he works with teachers, counselors, and administrators, providing educational programming throughout the year to teach students about online safety, the dangers of vaping, and many more topics. He is also often seen at events throughout the District, such as athletic competitions, prom, and graduation.
Officer Watts has served the Quaker Valley School District for four years after retiring from the Pennsylvania State Police in May 2015 as a patrol supervisor. While Watts may be humble, he is no stranger to recognition; in 2013, he was named “Trooper of the Year” after heroically saving an eight-month-old girl.