Deputy Travis Schrader has been an officer with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office for nearly six years.
He decided to make the transition to Student Resource Officer for Lakeview Middle School after several patrols with another resource officer opened his eyes to how some children perceive police officers.
“I’ve been on calls where children would think that police officers were the bad guys,” said Schrader. “But when I’d be on call with an SRO, the kids would talk to the him; they looked at him as trustworthy. I wanted to let them know that we’re not the bad guys, we’re here to help you. It’s definitely what got the interest in being an SRO going.”
Although Schrader is not Lakeview Middle’s first SRO, and has been there under a year, he said he’s already seeing a change in the students, especially concerning the issue of bullying.
“Realistically, it’s [bullying] going to happen at some level, but we’ve been trying to deter the more extreme cases,” he said. “”The Sheriff’s Office and the school does Anti-Bullying Month every October to try to educate and get kids to understand the consequences of bullying. I think it’s working and definitely making a difference.”
Schrader said he hasn’t had too many serious issues come up thus far, describing the semester as “pretty relaxed,” though some things, such as some degree of bullying and the occasional fight, are issues that are nearly omnipresent in middle schools and high schools.
He believes his age may have something to do with the positive connections he’s made with the students. To his knowledge, at 29 years old he’s the youngest SRO in Catoosa County.
“I think they’re reacting well because of my age,” said Schrader. “The kids don’t look at me like their dad, they look at me like ‘He’ll be able to understand me. I can talk to him.’
“So far, I’m enjoying it a lot,” he continued. “It’s definitely not a job that everyone can do. Being able to talk to kids and understand their issues and where they’re coming from isn’t easy.”
Schrader still goes out on patrol when the school is on break or closed, so he’s not removed from his role in the community. However, he foresees himself as an SRO for a long time.
“I feel like I can do this and make a real difference,” Schrader said. “On a regular patrol we see what’s happening after the fact. It’s too late to help those kids stay out of trouble. But here, I can help them learn to make the right decisions and keep them as a part of the community. I definitely think it’s the right place for me.”
Email Shane Foley at sfoley@timesfreepress.com.