Many students see school resource officers as the people who direct morning traffic and patrol the hallways. However, their duties extend far beyond that. They are sworn police officers who have promised to protect students every day, no matter the task.
“I really hope [crossing guard duty] is not all everyone thinks we do,” Atlanta Public Schools Officer Meredith Littles said.
Most students only see SROs like Officer Littles once a day – directing traffic or patrolling the halls. That, however, is far from all that these officers do.
“I, personally, have $4.5 [million] worth of weapon detection inventory that I repair and supervise,” Officer Littles said.
A day might start with everyday duties, but it can quickly turn urgent. At a moment’s notice, SROs might have to respond to a bus crash, a suicidal student or even a break-in at a school building.
“Sometimes there are homeless people that break into the building, and we have to do building searches,” Officer Littles said.
Students are often unaware that any of these things have ever or would ever happen.
“It’s kinda surprising that there might have been homeless people in the building just a couple of hours before school started,” junior Jerry Laster said.
The officers have been taught to separate what happened hours or days prior from the current situation, leading to students’ misconceptions about their true duties. This compartmentalization helps the officers be more effective, as their attention is fully on what is happening in the moment.
“We have to learn how to separate ourselves once something is done, we learn how to let that go,” Officer Little said.
Another important part of an SRO’s job is stopping conflicts before they start.
“I think having [SROs] there definitely has an effect,” sophomore Brody Morgan-Dawson said. “They’re not scary or anything, they just kinda cool everyone down and make people think about what they’re gonna do a little more.”
Atlanta Public Schools Chief of Police Ronald Applin believes that this quality comes from their training. Applin, who used to be police trainer for the Atlanta Police Department, does not train his officers in the usual way.
“I taught officers to be warriors, now I train them to be guardians,” Applin said.
The transition from warriors to guardians also requires learning new skills to better support students.
“We give the capability to use not just the tools on their belt,” Applin said.
This makes the SROs better able to work with students in a more caring way, creating a safer and more effective learning environment.
“I remember in middle school there were a lot more fights,” Morgan-Dawson said. “I don’t know if the decrease has to do with the officers, but less fights does mean that people can’t talk about them for the rest of the day. Back then, if a fight happened, that’s all anyone talked about for all their classes – no one did any work.”
SROs have many duties that require perfection and work that would be difficult without full commitment to their job. Officer Littles said it is the students who make her job so fulfilling.
“I’m gonna be honest, I love you guys,” Officer Littles said. “Y’all make my day so interesting.”
Officer Littles loves everything from just talking with students to seeing the annual traditions, especially the senior pranks. Every year, she calls her husband, excited to tell him what the students were able to pull off.
“The badge does not change your personality,” Officer Littles said.
Applin shares that belief, which is why he does thorough checks to ensure his officers are the best they can be. He won’t even consider candidates with any history of violence or unneeded force. He needs his officers to be more than just a police presence.
“They need to be someone to lean on, someone that’s a trusted adult,” Applin said.
While SROs have many duties, their first and foremost is always protecting students. Laster believes Midtown’s SROs make the school feel safer.
“I’m glad we have them here,” Laster said. “Most people say that schools with no officers are better. That might be true, but for our school, I’m glad we have them to make sure everyone stays safe.”
