Tonawanda City School District School Resource Officer Jason Balling has never centered his work around recognition, but this fall, he’s receiving it.
For more than 10 years, Balling has served as the SRO for our district, working with students, staff and families across all of our schools. This October, he will be honored by the American Red Cross of Western New York as a Community Impact Hero at its 8th Annual Real Heroes Celebration.
Superintendent Timothy Oldenburg nominated Balling for the award after more than a decade of watching his role in the district extend far beyond the traditional responsibilities of an SRO.
“While Officer Balling would likely never seek recognition for himself, the impact of his service is visible every day in the lives of the students, families, educators and community members he serves,” Oldenburg said. “Through mentorship, prevention, education and relationship-building, he has strengthened trust, improved safety and helped create a culture of belonging throughout the Tonawanda community.”
For Balling, much of that work starts with being present.
He teaches D.A.R.E., oversees the Youth Court Program, leads the Junior Police Academy and coordinates the Juvenile Fingerprinting Program. He also organizes the Tonawanda Police Department’s annual National Night Out.
Those programs put Balling alongside students in settings that have little to do with responding to an emergency or handling a disciplinary issue. They give students a chance to ask questions, have conversations and get to know the person behind the badge.
It is an approach Balling carries into his everyday work in the schools.
He meets students where they are, whether that is in a classroom, walking through the hallway or sitting down with someone when a problem comes up. When a student is struggling or a family needs help, Balling can work with school staff and parents to address the immediate situation and determine what additional support may be needed.
That day-to-day presence also means Balling often knows students before he ever has to work with them in a more difficult situation. Over the course of more than a decade, he has worked with young people at different ages and through several of the programs he leads, creating opportunities for them to interact with law enforcement in a different way.
That work has also been recognized by his own department. Last year, Balling was named the City of Tonawanda Police Department’s Officer of the Year, with department leadership citing his professionalism, dedication and work with local youth.
The American Red Cross Community Impact Hero award recognizes individuals or groups who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to making a significant impact in their communities, including through programs or services created to address an identified need.
“I have been involved in the American Red Cross Western New York Real Heroes Award Selection for the past 10 years, and the Community Impact Hero Award is the most competitive award to select,” said Robert E. Pecoraro, colonel, USAF (Ret.), chair of the Service to Armed Forces Committee for the American Red Cross Western New York Chapter. “There were 12 members on the selection committee this year, and Jason’s nomination rose to the top because of his setting the conditions for student success in life, which will pay off big dividends in our community.”
Balling will be honored alongside other Real Heroes from across Western New York on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens in Depew.