Ben Wilcox

Ben Wilcox recently retired as the first-ever Kentucky State School Security Marshal after spending five years at the helm. The School Marshal’s office was created in 2019 with the passing of the School Safety and Resiliency Act (SSRA). The SSRA is one of the most comprehensive pieces of school safety legislation passed in Kentucky and the nation. The Office of the State School Security Marshal (OSSSM) is responsible for ensuring compliance with all mandates set forth by the SSRA. Ben was given the responsibility of building the office, hiring regional compliance officers and building relationships with school districts to protect students and staff. OSSSM compliance officers conduct risk assessments on all locally controlled schools in the state and work alongside schools to improve safety and security.
Ben managed 16 compliance officers covering 1,327 schools and 173 school districts. The 2023-2024 OSSSM report showed a 99% percent compliance rate with the SSRA. The OSSSM also was given the responsibility of certifying all School Resource officers in the state with 120 hours of SRO-specific training.
Ben’s background made him the perfect fit for spearheading school safety in Kentucky. He started his career as the first school resource officer at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (KY). He was assigned to the county high school and soon also worked in the middle school and three elementary schools. Ben then started working for the Department of Criminal Justice training as a police instructor. His assignments as an instructor included: driving, firearms, tactics and supervision of the Instructional Design section. Ben has a wealth of knowledge on building relationships between law enforcement and school districts to protect kids. During his tenure as school marshal, he helped build the statewide Handle With Care program making the much-needed notification system available to all schools and law enforcement agencies in the state.

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Breaking Barriers in School Safety and Substance Misuse Prevention: Vaping, Fentanyl, and Innovative Models for Change

Tuesday, April 22, 2025
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM