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Graves Schools Salute School Resource Officers

Graves Schools Salute School Resource Officers
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By Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools
Jan. 19, 2020 | MAYFIELD
By Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools Jan. 19, 2020 | 10:40 AM | MAYFIELD
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day began in 2015 "to thank officers across the country for all the daily sacrifices they make for their communities," according to the web site https://nationaldaycalendar.com. The arrival Jan. 9 of the 2020 edition of that same appreciation day served as a reminder that the Graves County School District employs two full-time school resource officers. In fact, Jonathan Grant and Shawn Maxie comprise the staff of the district's own independent police department, with the full legal authority of more traditional law enforcement agencies.

Not long after Grant retired from his 20-year career with the Kentucky State Police, he accepted a position as an SRO with the Graves County Schools. "Law enforcement is something I believe you're called to do, like a pastor is called to that profession," Grant explained. "One reason I became an SRO is I like being around kids and the high school setting, in particular."

Grant continued, "Other than protection of our staff and students, I think one of the biggest values of our SRO's is relationship building and mentoring of youth. Those teenaged years are really tough. Sometimes, teenagers don't make the best decisions. This job offers an opportunity for them to hear an adult perspective from someone who has seen the worst that drugs and alcohol can do. So, it's really almost a ministry."

Maxie sees his service as an SRO "...as kind of a way of giving back," he said. "Yes, I get a paycheck for it, but giving back also is making a positive impact for law enforcement. I'm not always looking around for something bad happening. Instead, I'm giving students a pat on the back, a pep talk, or building them up when they're going through something tough. I also want to give a positive example of a black male. That's one reason I got into police work 20-plus years ago."

He added, "After I retired from the Paducah Police Department, I was a law enforcement instructor at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training Academy in Richmond. I thought that would be my dream job. There weren't SRO's in those days. Now, this is my dream job. I'm trying to make a difference. Helping to lay that foundation for adult life is important. If I can be a role model or someone students can trust, who will listen, that's my goal."

Graves County Schools director of pupil personnel Christy Puckett works closely with both men. "To have, in my opinion, two of the finest SRO's in the state of Kentucky is rewarding," she said. "These are veteran police officers, who came to us from varied backgrounds and experience. The No. 1 thing I can say about them is that they relate well to kids and they are for kids first. The way they conduct business on an everyday basis is very proactive, to promote positive behaviors within the school and to promote growth in the culture of our school community, as a whole."

Puckett concluded, "Officer Grant primarily is assigned to the high school. Officer Maxie works out of the middle school. He also serves our elementary schools, especially through teaching DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). They make a fantastic team, work very well together and play off one another's strengths. I think that makes our department as a whole very sound."

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