to be a good school resource officer you have to have you have to live it every
day it's not just during the school year during the school time it's after it's
during the summer it's in the community you're always that school resource
officer because they see you at all times and you're building that rapport.
I hope that it encourages kids to come talk to us on a more positive level and
to bridge that gap that they might feel afraid of us or intimidated by us and it
just goes to show that we're approachable and we want to talk to you
and we and we want to make those connections with you and in a positive way.
So a school resource officer really strives to bridge the gap between youth
and police. Now what does that mean that means holding events being visible in
the schools it doesn't always mean enforcement. It could be having a
high-five campaign just to be able to have a positive experience with police
officers. Some youth don't have positive role models in their life and a police
officer is someone that could be seen as that positive role model so that they
can confide in so that they see as a productive member as one of their
community members and not just the uniform. We really strive to break down
that uniform and see the person with the youth and that there can be a positive
relationship built between them. I think that this is the exact spot to start we
come in a non-threatening way we we show them the police car and we show them
just like some safety tips and what we do and and it gets they definitely come
to us for advice or ask us questions or if we do have to deal with them on the
job they're a lot more approachable and they want
to talk to us a lot more and they see that we're just regular people. Being a school
resource officer is a very specific skill to have. These skills would include
being able to relate to the youth being able to be open to the youth to be
approachable to be a mentor to be a positive influence to bring in different
strategies to think outside the box for different events that they can do in
order to break down those barriers. So it is a very specific skill set to be a
school resource officer and to be very effective in the community.
He's always there to help us and you know I talk to him every day I go in the daily hug
that's my thing a daily hug. You know he comes up to me he's like giving me the
talk you ever want to get off stuff just talk to me and like thank you very much
if you need him he's there for you he seems pretty much like a guardian.
If it was just one kids life I changed I know I did my job.
And it's not going to work with everyone it's not it's reality you know they may
be good in front of me but yet I turn around the corner and they could do that
it's not going to work for everyone and we know that, it's definitely worth trying.
So if we had more opportunities that we can build stronger programs and
stronger relationships in our communities throughout K division working
with the schools the youth we would certainly encourage that.